With October almost over and November just around the corner, it is a good time to let our families know the procedures in place at DCS, should we have to delay or close school because of inclement weather or any other reason.
Decisions about school delays and closures are made by the Superintendent, after consulting with DCS’ transportation and facilities departments. Delays and closures will be communicated with staff, students and families through ParentSquare, and decisions will be made as early as possible to allow families adequate time to make necessary arrangements. We will also post information on the district’s website and share the information with local media outlets.
Delays
In the event that additional time is needed in the morning to ready the schools for in-person instruction, you will see a message labeled “District on (1 or 2) Hour Delay.” This means that bus pick up and school start times will be either one or two hours later than usual. School dismissal and afternoon bus times will remain the same.
Early Dismissal During Inclement Weather
In the rare event that early dismissal is necessary, notification will be made as early in the day as possible. If alternate student drop-off instructions are needed for an early dismissal, please make sure that these instructions are on file at your child’s school.
Additional Information About Cancellations
As a general rule, when school is closed for the day or there is an early dismissal, all athletic, afterschool, and evening events are canceled, unless otherwise announced.
Three Allotted Emergency Days/Remote Learning
The district has allotted three days in its calendar for emergency school closure. It is always our hope that we do not need to use any more than three emergency closure days. However, if we use all three emergency days, families should be prepared for the possibility of having their student participate in remote learning using their school-issued Chromebook.
Parent Judgment and Unique Circumstances
Parents who deem roads unsafe for travel due to weather, or feel that the weather conditions are not acceptable for their child(ren) to attend school, regardless of a District announcement, should use their own judgment as to whether to send their child to school or to transport them at a later time. Instructional time is crucial to ensuring our students’ academic success, but the safety of our students is always the district’s number one priority.
We also know that some circumstances, such as home power outages, will sometimes prevent attendance remotely or in person. Please notify the office in the building your child(ren) attend so that we are aware of these events.