It is getting to be that time of year when snow, ice and
extreme cold may cause disruptions to school. Please let me explain how we make
decisions regarding calamity days.
We closely monitor the weather forecast (I trust www.weather.gov) for snow and extremely cold temperatures throughout the winter months.
We also maintain communication with the local road crews and police, and drive neighborhoods.
Whenever possible, the decision to close school will be made
the previous evening. However, closings may be announced as late as 6 a.m. depending
on a variety of factors.
The district has no specific temperature policy for cancelling
school, but we use the National
Weather Service Windchill Chart as a guide, based on their methodology found here.
In addition, we closely monitor road conditions and the ability of our buses to
run on time. We will most likely have school if the temperatures remain in the
lightest blue color on the chart and the buses are running on time. However, it
is not uncommon for us to close when the windchill is -15 or colder for a
sustained period of time. We make decisions that are in the best interest of
our students with safety as our number one priority.
Parents know their children best. If parents are concerned for their children's safety getting to and from school or activities, we respect their right to keep them home.
When the Nordonia Schools CLOSE:
- All evening activities in the elementary and
middle school buildings are cancelled.
- High school evening activities may take place
depending on the weather throughout the day. Communication regarding such
events will be made by relevant coaches or advisors.
- Preschool and YMCA before/after care are cancelled.
- Transportation to CVCC is not provided.
- Community groups scheduled to use school
facilities (e.g., youth athletic leagues, Scouts, etc.) will have their events
cancelled.
When the Nordonia Schools DELAY:
- AM kindergarten is cancelled.
- AM preschool is cancelled.
- CVCC morning bus runs are cancelled.
- YMCA before school care will operate on a two hour delay.
When the decision to close school is made, the information
will appear first on my Twitter feed. You can follow me at @DrJoeClark. In addition, parents
will receive a phone call, and the information will be posted on our website
and all major local news stations.
Please know that while I appreciate good-natured tweets from
students begging me for a day off, they play absolutely no factor in my
decision making process. Also, Twitter posts from local weathermen making
predictions about the chances of having a snow day are made to increase their
social media traffic and have no credibility.
The first spring training game for the Indians is February
23! In the meantime, have a safe and enjoyable winter!