School Closings and Alerts

Weather Procedures

Widefield School District 3 (WSD3) uses a Weather Dial to show where we are in bad weather closures. For the 2023-2024 school year, we have six full days and one late start before we move to virtual learning days. The District will update staff and families as we get closer to virtual learning days.

Current Status:

FAQ

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.

Weather Decisions

WSD3 will:

Make weather decisions based on staff and students’ safety.
Make the decision as to whether we will have a two-hour delay, full closure, or virtual learning day, and announce no later than 5:00 A.M. by notifying local media through FlashAlert.
Notify all staff and families of the decision to close or delay school via email, text, and app push notification on Remind. You can also check our website, social media channels, or local news media outlets.
Not penalize students if parents keep them home or pick them up from school on questionable days. Parents must follow proper absence reporting procedures by calling your child’s school.

Two-Hour Late Start

WSD3 may use a two-hour late start as an option between closing schools or starting at the normal times.
A two-hour late start may be used when a storm is passing or when additional time may be needed to prepare for students and staff arriving at their schools.
Two-hour late starts will be announced by 5:30 a.m. through the same channels as a school closure.
When district officials announce a two-hour late start, all start times, bus pickup times and other standard schedules will be moved back by two hours. Schools will release at normal times in the afternoon.
If there is a two-hour late start, morning (a.m.) pre-school will be canceled for that day. Certified kindergarten and pre-school staff are to report with the rest of the instructional staff.
District maintenance staff will report as scheduled by the supervisor. Administrators, identified office staff, and 12-month employees are to report as soon as they can safely arrive at their responsibility centers. Instructional staff is to report as soon as it is safe to do so, but before students are to arrive at the conclusion of the delay.

Weather Alerts

Weather Dial

The weather dial shows five snow days on December 12, 2023, January 16, 2024, February 28, 2024, March 14 2024, and March 15, 2024. It also shows one late start on January 8, 2024. The dial color goes from green to red with yellow and orange in the middle. We are in the yellow portion of the dial.