With the winter months here and the weather becoming more unpredictable, it is important to review the process of how we decide whether to close school early, delay the start of school, or end school early due to bad weather. We understand that predicting the weather in our area can be tricky and that weather varies by towns in our RSU. I promise to take this process very seriously and consider all the factors involved. We know how important it is to keep our students, staff, and families safe, so we'll always prioritize that when making decisions about school closures.
The following is the School Cancellation-Delay Process we will use in 2024-2025: We start planning for potential school closures about 36 hours before a storm is expected. This is when the National Weather Service starts providing long-range forecasts.
The day before the storm:
● I review the latest forecasts from the National Weather Service.
● Our Director of Transportation, Jason Sirois, also reviews these forecasts.
On the morning of the storm (around 4:30 AM): I check the newest forecasts and use the National Weather Service. Jason talks with transportation directors in other nearby areas to see what they're expecting. I also contact other superintendents in Kennebec County to discuss their weather situation and potential plans.
By 5:00 AM: Jason and I discuss what we know and decide if we need more information from Town specific road crews or Kennebec County Emergency Management.
Our goal is to make a decision by 5:30 AM: Because we need approximately two hours to get all our kids into school (buses are rolling out of the yard by 6:15 am), a decision will need to be made by 5:30 a.m.
Here are the possible decisions:
● School will go as scheduled.
● 1-hour delay. (No Pre-Kindergarten classes.)
● 2-hour delay. (No Pre-Kindergarten classes.)
● No school.
How We Communicate School Closings:
Once we decide to adjust or cancel the school day due to weather, we'll use the following methods to inform everyone:
ThrillShare: We'll send out a message through Thrillshare. (Website, App notification and social media)
TV stations: WLBZ Channel 2 (Portland/Bangor), WCSH Channel 6 (Portland), WMTW Channel 8 (Portland), WGME Channel 13 (Portland)
Early Dismissal Due to Weather
If a storm quickly or suddenly impacts our area and we need to send students and staff home early, we'll make a decision as quickly as possible, recognizing it takes at least two hours to get everyone home safely.
Our goal is to make a decision between 9:30 AM and 10:00 AM for an Early Release.
We'll use Thrillshare and contact the same outlets mentioned above to let everyone know about an early dismissal.
Remote Day Procedures
Using the above mentioned weather sources we will make every effort to make a decision to call a Remote Day by 1:00 pm the day before the expected storm. This will be communicated using the above mentioned media and Thrillshare. Shelf stable meals (a breakfast & a lunch) will be sent home with all students that same day to be used on the remote day.
Potential Challenges for School Delays and Cancellations
As in years past, we may continue to face some additional challenges when deciding whether to delay or cancel school due to weather. Some of our towns and the state may have difficulty finding enough staff, including snowplow drivers. If roads can't be plowed quickly, it may affect whether we need to delay school openings or cancel school. Even if a storm has passed, if roads are still covered in snow or ice, we may need to cancel school or delay the start of the day.
We're prepared to deal with these potential issues and will make decisions based on the safety of our students, staff and families.
Before taking on this role, I had heard from other superintendents that deciding whether to delay or cancel school due to weather is one of the most difficult parts of the job. No matter what decision is made, some people will always disagree.
Thank You for Understanding
I appreciate your understanding of the process we'll be following this winter as we make decisions about school delays and cancellations. We'll do our best to keep everyone safe and informed during challenging weather conditions.