Inclement Weather Procedures

Inclement Weather Procedures
Posted on 12/10/2020
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Inclement Weather Procedures
Inclement Weather During All Virtual Learning
While all students in the Boise School District are learning virtually, during periods of dangerous weather conditions, such as significant snowfall, frigid temperatures or extremely icy streets, the Boise School District will announce and follow a 9:15 AM start schedule, rather than canceling school. Instructional staff will deliver instruction virtually. The delayed start time will give our staff, who choose to provide virtual instruction from their physical classroom, time to travel safely to school. 
 
Inclement Weather During In-Person Learning
During periods of inclement weather, when in-persion learning is occuring, all students and staff will be required to take mobile devices home each day so that they are prepared for virtual learning to take place. 
If the District determines that students and staff cannot safely travel to school or if schools are not able to operate safely because of city-wide dangerous weather conditions, schools may require students to learn virtually (online) but with a delayed start time of 9:15 AM. The delayed start time will allow staff who need to report to the physical building to deliver virtual instruction to do so safely.
 
We may not cancel in-person learning on days with normal wintery conditions. Light snowfall, cold mornings or areas of ice are not sufficiently dangerous to force the closure of in person learning in schools. With proper precautions including appropriate clothing, road deicing, and careful driving, students can travel to and from school safely.
 
Committed to Keeping Students Safe
The Boise School District covers over 450 square miles of Ada County. We recognize that conditions vary throughout the District, even from street to street, in some cases. Conditions may be extremely dangerous in one area, while perfectly safe everywhere else. If parents believe it is too dangerous for their children to travel to school they have the option to keep their children home. If in-person learning is cancelled, it will be cancelled for the entire District.
 
The most frequent dangerous weather conditions facing Boise schools are:
 
SNOW: Snow levels within the City of Boise are typically light or moderate. However, there is always the potential for a heavy snowfall to make traveling by vehicle or on foot dangerous. Historically, most snowfall only results in slow traffic and minor accidents throughout the City. Normal snowfalls would not result in school closures.
 
COLD: Frigid temperatures are more serious than snow when making school closure decisions. On bitterly cold days our concern is for students walking to school. Extremely cold weather also impairs our ability to get busses running, which causes delays in pickup routes, delays which are much more dangerous to riders because of the low temperatures.
 
ICE: Ice is our most dangerous winter weather condition. Freezing rain and/or refreezing of melted snow make our roads, streets and sidewalks extremely treacherous for pedestrians, and vehicles. Icy conditions may force us to close, even if it appears that no other dangerous conditions exist.
 
How are decisions made during periods of inclement weather? Representatives from transportation agencies, the weather bureau, the highway district, city and county law enforcement agencies, and school administrators, including the Superintendent, check the roads and monitor information throughout the night and early morning hours. We confer by telephone early in the morning to reach a decision.
 
How will we communicate? 
If in-person learning will be closed or if conditions warrant a 9:15 a.m. virtual learning start time, we will communicate in a number of ways to spread the word. In addition to notifying local radio and television news stations, we will send text & email messages to parents/guardians & staff, send an emergency alert via the District’s mobile app, post closure information at www.boiseschools.org, on each school’s website, and on our TwitterFacebook, and Instagram accounts. 
 
Parents/guardians can sign-up to receive emergency text messages by texting “Y” or “YES” to the number 67587. Non-parents (e.g., other family members, staff, news media, etc.) can also receive emergency text alerts via the Boise School District's mobile app (available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store).