Winter Weather Procedures

As early as possible. Usually, the decision to delay or cancel school will be made no later than 6:30 a.m. In some cases, the decision may be made the night before if weather conditions warrant. We cannot make decisions to delay or cancel school based upon a forecast alone.

Safety is our top priority when determining whether to issue a delay or cancelation. We consider several factors, including bus and motorist traction, driver visibility, and wind-chill conditions. Monitoring local radar and weather info guides our decisions. Additionally, we consider all streets and roads in the district, not only the City of Dublin, as conditions may differ in our more rural areas. Other factors we consider include:

• Building conditions, such as whether the buildings have electricity, heat and water

• The ability to clear campus parking lots and sidewalks

• Whether the conditions are worsening or improving

• Weather forecasts

There is no set temperature at which the district automatically closes school, but the ambient temperature is one of the many factors (along with wind-chill, road conditions, and weather forecasts) that are taken into consideration when making a decision. In most cases, schools can remain open when the ambient air temperature is well below zero. Extreme temperatures may cause schools to limit recess and some extracurricular activities. Parents should ensure that their child is dressed appropriately for the weather conditions.

To best understand wind chill and when conditions begin to cause adverse reactions such as frostbite, view the National Weather Service's Wind Chill Chart.

There will be no practices or games at the middle school level. The only exception would be tournament contests. These may proceed as scheduled if weather conditions allow for safe travel for spectators and athletes.

There will be no practice or stand-alone games at the freshmen level. Freshmen games that are part of a high school tripleheader may take place IF the JV/Varsity level contests will also be played as scheduled and travel is safe for athletes and spectators to attend the freshmen contest.

Only varsity teams may have voluntary practices. Practice times are contingent on the weather conditions and the forecast. Athletic Directors are responsible for working with the building principal and Director of Secondary Building Leadership to assess the weather and ensure student athletes can safely travel to and from a practice or a game. Decisions about games will be communicated as early as possible.

While we do everything possible to avoid sending students home before their scheduled dismissal time, weather or other factors may require the District to “early release” students. If the decision to conduct an early release is made, the district will send parents a voice call, email, and text message with details about the early release. Information will also appear on the district’s website and social media.

Please have an emergency back-up plan in place in the event of an unexpected dismissal.