Schools urge plans for bad weather

Larry Horton

District 55 Superintendent

For The New Era

Families with children need workable plans to deal with bad weather school closures. A number of issues can create major disruptions and problems in normal plans and activities. Listed below are some things to consider.

Always be sure your children come to school dressed appropriately for not only the current conditions when they leave in the morning, but also for forecasted weather changes later in the day. Winter weather can change in a matter of hours. A sunny morning can abruptly change to a raining or snowing afternoon. Listen to weather forecasts regularly. If changes are forecast, layers of light clothing are recommended.

Be alert to changing weather. Overnight, a winter storm can dump snow, ice or freezing rain on your neighborhood. Our local radio and television stations begin media announcements about school delays and closures around 6 a.m. Local stations that broadcast for the Sweet Home schools are radio stations KFIR- 720 AM, KRKT- 100.5 FM, KGAL- 1580 AM, KXPC- 103.7 FM, KUGN- 590 AM and KEJZ- 95.3 FM. Television stations broadcasting Sweet Home School announcements include KATU- Channel 2 (Portland) and KEZI- Channel 9 (Eugene).

Make sure you have plans for emergency care for students when school is cancelled due to bad weather. Older students in your neighborhood might be candidates for babysitting. Contact potential babysitters in advance so you know coverage will not be a problem.

Occasionally, a winter storm hits during the school day. This means administrators must weigh the risks of keeping students in school with the need to get students home safely and then decide when to dismiss school. Be sure your child’s school has your up-to-date emergency contact information in their files. When weather threatens, monitor the local media for announcements about school closures.

Closing school early is rarely done because some students may not have any supervision waiting at home. However, in the event an early release is made, listen to the radio for possible early release times or contact your children’s schools for more information.

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