Here are some frequently asked questions and answers regarding how weather days will be handled for the school year:
What types of weather decisions are there this school year?
- Full closure (snow day) - all WSD3 schools and offices will be closed. There is no expectation of virtual working or learning.
- Virtual learning day - (see question #2 below)
- Two-hour delay - school will start in-person exactly two hours later than normally scheduled. Schools will release at normal times in the afternoon. There will be no a.m. preschool and buses will pick up exactly two hours later than normal. Breakfast is not served on two-hour delay days.
What are the expectations of virtual learning days?
- During virtual learning days, all WSD3 students and instructional staff will be required to login on their device and work/learn virtually.
How many full closure (snow days) days do we have?
- After five school cancellation days due to weather, the district will have to add additional time per the state’s requirements.
- Two-hour delays contribute toward a full closure day. For example, three two-hour delays are the equivalent to one full closure day.
- We will use full closure days before we begin virtual learning.
- There will be a Weather Dial (see top of page) on our website to show where we are in closures before we move to virtual learning days. The District will also send updates to staff and families as we get closer to virtual learning days.
How do we determine weather days?
- Safety is our primary focus, and we do our best to make appropriate decisions about weather and travel conditions. There are several factors we take into consideration including road conditions, the amount of snow and ice, the weather forecast, temperatures, and wind chill. We try to make these decisions as early as possible with real-time information so your family can plan ahead.
How will weather announcements be made?
- All WSD3 families and staff receive notification of the decision to close or delay school via District News email or email, text, and app push notification on Remind.
- You can also check for delays/closures here on the WSD3 website.
- We also communicate the decision on our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter feeds.
- Local TV stations (KRDO, KXRM, KOAA, and KKTV) will also report these decisions on their newscasts.