263 East Street, P.O. Box 147
Stafford Springs, Connecticut 06076
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263 East Street, P.O. Box 147 Stafford Springs, Connecticut 06076 |
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Closings/Delays/Cancellations Be
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Information
About School Closings
ConsiderationsNaturally, the primary consideration in the decision to close or to delay the opening of school is the safety of the students. And, as the students in the schools range from 3 to 19 years of age, the Superintendent must take into consideration the youngest child who may be waiting for a school bus as well as the most capable of our driving teenagers. A second consideration is that several of our teachers and other staff members do not live in Stafford and must travel a distance to reach our schools. Their safety while commuting and their ability to reach school in a timely manner is also a concern. In addition, the ability of the Public Works Department to plow all of the streets traveled by buses and children as well as the ability of our maintenance staff to clear each school site has to be factored into any decision regarding closings or delays. In some cases, public streets and/or school driveways are unable to be cleared until the day following a storm. It is also important to remember that weather and street conditions can vary greatly within the boundaries of Stafford itself. Closing School The process of making the decision to close school or to delay its opening begins with the constant monitoring of weather reports, usually beginning the night before. At approximately 4:30 a.m., the Superintendent receives a call from the Director of Building Services, who has checked with the Police Department on current road conditions and the Stafford Department of Public Works on road clearing schedules. In fact, at least two staff members are out on town roads reporting any problems they are encountering. Next, neighboring Superintendents are called to ascertain road and weather conditions in his or her area. The decision to close or delay school must be made before 5:30 a.m., if it is possible to do so. Keep in mind that the decision is made on the best estimate of what will happen in the next four to twelve hours. If weather, road and parking conditions are such that safety is a problem, school will be cancelled and the radio and television stations listed below are called immediately to make that announcement public. Please remember that while calls are made to television and radio stations immediately, we cannot control how long it takes a station to post the information. Delayed Opening School opening may be delayed by 90 minutes if that extra time would seem to offer either better road and parking conditions or a substantial improvement in weather. Different decisions for different schools are not possible because of the logistics of running the bus system over the contracted time. Delayed Opening Times
Closing Following a Delayed Opening Sometimes a delay may be followed by an announcement to close if weather conditions deteriorate rapidly. Families should continue to monitor weather reports after a delay is announced. Early Dismissal With so many single parents and two wage earner families, it is only with the greatest reluctance that children are sent home early because of weather conditions. However, in the event that such an early release is absolutely necessary, each family should have an emergency plan that their children thoroughly understand. Please review your family’s plan with your children and designated caretakers. Radio and TV stations, our website and www.ctweather.com are immediately notified of any change in status, so it is important to monitor one of the listed media stations or websites if weather conditions deteriorate. Early Dismissal Times
How Parents Can Help On mornings when the weather is bad, but school is still held, please let your children ride the bus. First of all, the heavy school buses are the safest vehicles your children could be in. Secondly, if parents drive, the school driveways become clogged with cars, slowing the drop off process and creating hazards for children exiting buses. For the same reasons, we urge parents not to pick up students at school when an emergency dismissal is called. Please let your children ride the bus. Please listen to the radio and / or TV or check our status on-line, but do not call the schools, the Central Office, the Town Hall, the Police Department or the media. Lines need to be kept clear for emergency calls and for parent notification when necessary. Please be sure to have an emergency plan in place that your children and your designated caretakers understand. How to Learn the Status of School Closings, Delays or Early Dismissals Tune in to the following radio or television stations:
Websites: Closing information can be viewed at the following web site addresses: 1. www.stafford.ctschool.net 2. www.wfsb.com 3. www.nbc30.com 4. www.ctweather.com |
