A: Sudden weather changes are part of what we expect in Colorado. To help us ensure the safety of our students and staff to the best of our abilities, School District 11 has appointed supervisory personnel to drive sections of the District during a predicted storm. We assign the driving sections because, as we all know, the weather in one part of our city can be completely different than in another part of the city during a storm.

The supervisory personnel report on weather and road conditions, especially noting poor visibility, poor traction and other hazardous street conditions, wind chill factors, and snow accumulation. These on-the-street supervisors report their findings, and the Superintendent is briefed on the conditions. We evaluate the conditions and further driving reviews and conversations may occur.

The employee reports are used in addition to the reports from the U.S. Weather Bureau and the Colorado Springs Street Division, and in coordination with neighboring school districts. After all the data is examined, a decision is made for either a delayed start, a remote learning day, a full school closure, or school as usual. All of this usually begins the night before a storm is predicted to hit and is accomplished by 5:30 a.m. so you may be notified in a timely manner.

A: Depending on weather severity and how many remote learning days have been used during a school year, one of three decisions will be made:

• Full closure - all District 11 schools and offices will be closed and there is no expectation of remote working/learning
• Two-hour delay - School will start in-person exactly two hours later than normally scheduled. There will be no a.m. preschool and buses will pick up exactly two hours later than normal.
• Early release - Colorado weather can be unpredictable and sometimes a storm moves in late-morning or mid-day. In rare circumstances, the District will release early and provide families as much notice as possible when this happens.
• After-school and evening closures/cancellations- After-school and evening activities are left to the discretion of the school/building. However, there are times when severe weather is present and requires a district decision. The District will send a D11 Loop (email & app alert) when this happens.

A: The District uses SchoolMessenger to send announcements about inclement weather days. You will receive an email and/or a text messages depending on your set preferences.

Other Methods:

• District Social Media
• MyPowerHub Newsfeed
• Flash Alerts
• Local news stations
• You can call 719-520-2300 at any time for the current status (pulse 9 para español)

In MyPowerHub, you can manage your SchoolMessenger communication preferences and choose which SchoolMessenger alerts you will receive by text, email, or phone.

• Open MyPowerHub on your computer or through the PowerSchool App (Access Code: XWBH).
• Log in with your Parent Portal credentials. If you don’t have a login or need help, please contact your school.
• Click the School Messenger Inbox Icon in the top right corner.
  Important: The communication preferences listed under your initials are for MyPowerHub only and do not affect your SchoolMessenger settings. 
  

• Click on the Preferences Icon
  

• Click on each of your contact methods (Phone, Text, Emails) and select your options for each message type.
  • Inclement weather announcements will always be sent as an emergency message.
  • By law, at least one phone number is required for Attendance Notifications
  • Weather alerts will not be sent by phone. However, be sure to enable your emergency message notifications, as they may be used for other important alerts.

A: For any weather related decisions, you as a parent/guardian make the final decision concerning the safety of your child. If you think weather conditions are unsafe when the District keeps schools open, you may keep your child at home. Remember to follow the proper absence reporting procedures by calling your child’s school to report the absence, and your child's absence will be excused; all work may be made up without penalty.