FILE: EBCE-E

INCLEMENT WEATHER PROCEDURE

All inclement weather decisions are based on concerns for Student, Parent and Staff safety

Parents are expected to decide whether to send students to school on threatening, stormy days. When schools are open, some parents may choose to keep their children home due to bad weather. Such absences will be excused, and work missed may be made up without penalty. Parents are expected to provide to school offices updated information about emergency telephone numbers and alternative arrangements for the safe custody of students during inclement weather. Exceptions to this procedure may be made by the Superintendent or designee, where Colorado High School activities competition or rental to outside agencies could be adversely affected.

IN THE EVENT SCHOOL IS CLOSED FOR THE DAY
District Eleven will:

• Collect data at the earliest appropriate time. The district will check with Springs Transit, the National Weather Service, the Colorado Springs Police Department and three geographically located staff members.
• Make the decision as to whether schools will be closed and announce the decision no later than 5:30 a.m., unless there are extenuating circumstances, by calling the local media.

Parents are expected to:

• Be responsible for custody of their children.
• Listen to the news broadcasts on stormy mornings.

The community is expected to:

• Listen to the news broadcasts to determine if community education classes, rental leases and co-curricular activities will take place as planned.
• Make a personal decision about whether to attend late afternoon or evening activities.

IN THE EVENT A DELAYED/SAFETY START OCCURS
District Eleven will:

• Make the decision to delay school by 2 hours and announce that decision no later than 5:30 a.m., unless there are extenuating circumstances.
• Make the decision to cancel community education classes, rental activities and co-curriculum activities by 1:00 p.m., unless there are extenuating circumstances.
• Begin school for all students, except a.m. kindergarten and all pre-school activities, 2 hours later than each school’s normal arrival time.
• Cancel all a.m. kindergarten classes.
• Cancel all a.m. pre-school activities and kindergarten.
• Cancel breakfast and before-school enrichment programs.
• Contribute to the safety of students and of the entire community by reducing the amount of pedestrian and vehicle traffic during peak hours and under poor driving/walking conditions.
• Use a common symbol at each elementary school to indicate a delayed/safety start.

Parents are expected to:

• Be responsible for custody of their children until school begins.
• Listen to the news broadcasts on stormy mornings.
• Decide whether to send their children to school on threatening, stormy days.
• Send their children to school at the delayed start time rather than the normal time.

IN THE EVENT A DECISION HAS BEEN MADE TO OPEN SCHOOLS AND THE STORM WORSENS UNEXPECTEDLY
District Eleven will:

• Inform the media listed above not later than 11 a.m. that schools will dismiss students early.
• Dismiss students 2 hours earlier than normal, unless otherwise directed by the Superintendent or designee. School will make every effort to complete lunch service before dismissal.
• Keep buildings open as long as necessary to evacuate all students safely.
• Cancel all p.m. preschool and kindergarten.

Parents are expected to:

• Listen for an early dismissal announcement no later than 11 a.m.
• Make sure their children know what to do and where to go if dismissed early.
• Know that students will be dismissed two hours earlier than normal.
• Not rely on the telephone to make last-minute arrangements for their children. (Lines tend to malfunction during storms.)

INCLEMENT WEATHER PROCEDURE
District Eleven Employees

DISTRICT PERSONNEL PRACTICES WHEN SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED FOR BAD WEATHER CONDITIONS

In the event of a 2 hour delayed start for schools, ALL employees are expected to work their regular schedules.

However, employees should make sure they can arrive safely, and it is understood that in these cases employees will be no more than 60 minutes late.

Communications

• Local radio stations and television channels.
• Patrons and employees of District Eleven should listen to news broadcasts on stormy days.

School Closing

• Certain Facilities and Security employees, Building Managers, Administrators and others are expected to report to work at their location(s).
• If schools are closed early, appropriate staff members are expected to stay until all students have been cleared from the building.

Snow Removal

• Operations employees will perform necessary snow and/or ice removal and perform other safety measures as appropriate.
• Employees assigned to such duties will not be penalized if they are unable to safely report to work because of inclement weather.
• The administrators in Facilities and Building Managers will direct their employees with respect to snow removal operations in the district.

Compensation

• ESP will be paid at straight time for the day schools are closed due to inclement weather, and, in addition,
• ESP who are approved to work will be paid straight time for hours worked,
• Food and Nutrition Services employees will not be paid for the day schools are closed due to inclement weather,
• Refer to the ESP Policy and Procedures Handbook section 17.1 for overtime compensation.

Vacation and Paid Leave

• If the schools are open and an employee is not able to report for work, the employee may use paid leave or vacation time, if it is available, to account for the day's absence.
• If paid leave or vacation time is not available, the employee may apply for emergency leave.
• An employee will not be charged for sick leave, vacation or personal leave on a day when the schools are closed.

Paychecks

• If the schools are closed on a payday, paychecks will be disbursed on the next workday.

Colorado Springs School District No. 11, Colorado Springs, Colorado
January 2003