Snow Days: How they are decided in Flat Rock Community Schools
The decision to close school due to inclement weather is not an easy one. We realize it has a large impact on Flat Rock Community Schools students, parents and staff. We want to share with you the process and factors that we consider when determining a weather-related school closing.
We know that students are best served by being in class. But we also know that we can't control the weather which may necessitate the closing of schools. Our first priority is the safety of our students and staff. It is also important to note that calling a day of school off applies to all students and select staff. The reason for this is that all teachers regardless of assignment report to work daily. If school is called for inclement weather, no educators will be reporting to work.
Who makes the decision to close school?
The superintendent makes the final decision to close school based on the factors below.
How do we make the decision to close school?
● Information on current road conditions from our transportation and maintenance staff who monitor the roads throughout the night and into the morning
● Current weather conditions and predicted weather conditions
● Amount of snow and ice accumulation
● Duration and timing of the snow or ice
● Temperature and wind chill (We use a -20 wind chill for a sustained amount of time as a guide) Here is a chart that explains how the wind-chill factor can cause frostbite when it approaches cold temperatures. ● School building conditions (electricity, heat, water)
● School parking lot and sidewalk conditions
● Operation of buses and ability to travel on snow-covered or icy roads
● Consultation with neighboring school districts and weather officials
When do we make the decision to close school?
When possible, we can determine a school closing the evening prior. But most of the time we have to wait until the early morning hours due to changing weather conditions or to give our maintenance staff time to clear parking lots and sidewalk, and the time our transportation staff need to travel the routes safely.
The notifications go out as soon as a decision is made to give families as much notice as possible. We will NOT call after 11 pm or before 5 am.
How are parents and staff notified of a school closing?
We use a variety of communications methods to notify the community of a school closing. As soon as the decision has been made to close school we:
● Send an automated call to parents and staff from the superintendent
● Email parents and staff via the school principal
● Send a text message/email via MiStar Q Communication (Parent Square)
● Post on the District website (www.flatrockschools.org)
● Post on local news stations including Channel 2, 4, 7 and WJR and WWJ radio and other area stations that pick up the information
Why do an early release?
Understandably early release days pose an entire array of concerns, so why would we consider it? Our goal is to actually have school on our scheduled days provided the conditions, based on the information we have at the time, are safe for travel. The State of Michigan allows us to close school six days per year with an option to ask the state to dismiss an additional three. These days are actually calculated via hours, so when we do an early dismissal the hours the students are in school count for us and can prevent us from adding days. But safety is always the main priority so we need to ensure that if we release students early, there will be someone to pick them up, greet them at the bus or home.
Parent Decision
Remember, the District will make the best decision for the majority of our students.
While we do our best to monitor conditions throughout the cities in our district boundaries- Huron, Gibraltar and Woodhaven, it is not possible to evaluate every road or side street. This is why parents always have the right to decide in the best interest of their children and families. If you feel that is not safe for your child to attend school, you always have the option to keep your child at home.
How you can help
Please make sure your school has an up to date phone number and email on file. Also, check the news stations and get on their email lists as well. Please don’t rely on one communication method, especially the call, to get your school closing notifications. This system is used by most of the districts in our area and across the state, so when there are many calling at the same time it can take a few hours. Check social media, our website, the news channels and your email. Often these will be posted before the call is delivered to you.
Finally, we ask that everyone please be patient as we go through the process to determine if we can safely get all of our students and staff to and from school. Thank you in advance for your consideration in this matter and as always GO RAMS!
Your Partner in Education,
Andrew Brodie Ed.S.
Superintendent