Weather-Related School Closings and Delays

Notification of School Cancellation/Delay/Early Dismissal

District/school officials assess road conditions and weather forecasts and attempt to make a decision on weather-related school closings or delays before 6:00 a.m. When a school cancellation or delay decision is made, local radio and television stations are notified immediately and are the primary information outlet to the public. If a decision is reached before 9:00 p.m. to cancel school the following day, the School Messenger call system may be utilized to notify student homes that evening.

In the event of early dismissal, media outlets will be notified, and the superintendent will use School Messenger to notify parents.

It is the intent of Spartanburg District 2 to operate schools only when roads are safe for driving. However, the safety of road conditions at any time cannot be guaranteed. The district administration makes the decision whether or not to operate schools; parents must make the decision whether or not to send their children to school during bad weather conditions.

Delayed Opening

School opening may be delayed for an hour or two for conditions to improve or for school officials to further assess the weather/roads. During a delay, students and parents should stay tuned to local radio or TV broadcasts in case the delay is extended or schools are closed for the day. When schools are on a delayed schedule, students should not arrive until the announced opening time (teachers will not be there to supervise them). If there is a one-hour delay, schools will serve breakfast; if there is a two-hour delay, they will not serve breakfast.

Calls

To avoid tying up telephone lines while urgent contacts are in progress, the public is urged not to call the schools, district office, or media for information. Local radio and television stations update and repeat closing information frequently to ensure that the public is informed.

The district transportation office provides a recorded update on bus schedules at 342-2046.

Make-up Days

School days missed due to inclement weather will be made up on the dates designated on the district academic calendar. Days in excess of the designated make-up days will be addressed as needed, including adding days to the end of the school calendar.

Safety Message for Parents

Dear Parents,

Recognizing that schools are not immune to natural and manmade hazards, Spartanburg School District 2 and our schools have emergency plans in place for the safety and well-being of students and staff. These safety plans include provisions for sheltering in place, for school lockdowns, and for evacuation to off-site shelters where parents may be asked to pick up their children in the event of certain crisis situations. The specific type of emergency will guide where and what special care will be provided. The cooperation of parents and the community will be of utmost importance to ensure security and the unhampered efforts of emergency responders when necessary.

• Shelter in place - This plan would be put into place in the event of a weather emergency or other unsafe outside condition that is best avoided by staying inside. During severe weather conditions such as thunderstorms/lightning/tornado warnings, students are brought into the building from outside activities and held inside until conditions are safe. Should dangerous weather conditions exist at the time of school dismissal, students may be sheltered inside until outside conditions are deemed safe. Parents who have arrived at the school to pick up their children may wait in their cars until students are dismissed, or they may park in a designated area and enter the school to pick up their children. Parents will be notified through media outlets and other available means if students should be picked up before regular dismissal time.
• School lockdown - This plan would be put into place in the event of a threat or potential threat in the school area. In this plan, the school is closed to all visitors, and students are cared for indoors at the school. During a school lockdown, parents and other citizens are urged not to come to the school until the lockdown has been lifted. Opening the school during a lockdown would breach security and could potentially endanger everyone in the building. Should an emergency response be called for, unobstructed access to the campus is very important, as response time can be a critical factor. In the case of an extended lockdown, media will be asked to communicate the situation and keep the public informed.
• Evacuation to off-site shelter - This plan would be put into place in the event that it is not safe for students to remain at the school. In this situation, the school has predetermined alternate sites for care. The choice of site is determined by the specific emergency and what would be an appropriate alternate site. In the case of evacuation to an alternate location, media will be asked to announce the site for parents to safely reunite with their children. Students will be released only to authorized persons as specified in student records. To assure that students are properly accounted for, an orderly system for reunification will be established. Parent cooperation, understanding, and patience will help to make the process less trying.

The safety of your children is a priority for us, as it is with you. With your help, we will do everything possible to keep school a safe and healthy "home away from home." The purpose for sharing this information with you is not to cause you worry, but to reassure you that we are prepared to handle all types of emergencies in a way that will ensure the safety of your child(ren). In the event of an actual emergency, please do not call the school-it will be important to keep the lines open. Local radio and television stations will be notified in the case of school closings, evacuations, or extended lockdowns, and other means of communication with parents will be implemented as possible. If you have questions regarding this information, talk with the principal or your child's teacher.