The district will always err on the side of safety when considering the closing, early departure/release, or late start for the school day. Student and staff safety will always be the first consideration during inclement weather events.
In the event that severe weather of any type is indicated by the National Weather Service that will affect the district boundaries, the district will continually monitor the weather by television, radio, and computer for the most current conditions during the weather event.
When a storm is expected in our area overnight, bringing freezing rain, ice, or snow, APS officials begin gathering information around 4:00 a.m., in order to make a decision about whether schools should be open or closed. We take several steps to determine if students and staff will be able to arrive at school safely. The goal is to notify the news media of any closings by 6:00 a.m.
As you know, in Oklahoma it is not always possible to accurately forecast the outcome of a storm or its exact location. A storm that is predicted to bring six inches of snow or ice may leave only a trace. Streets and roads may be fine at 5:00 a.m., but snow or ice covered by 7:00 a.m., and a town ten miles away may have several inches of snow or ice while we have little or none - or vice versa.
If inclement weather arises, the following will drive district decisions pertaining to school closings, late starts, and early departures:
1. The ability of district bus drivers to arrive at the transportation department to drive the buses and the ability of all buses to pick up students throughout the district boundaries and deliver them safely to and from the school sites.2. The ability of all students and staff members to arrive safely at and to depart safely from the school sites.
It is extremely difficult to release students early once the school day has begun so early departures/releases will be extremely rare. If severe weather strikes, the ability to get the bus drivers back in to the bus garage to get the buses ready for the routes, the safety of students who must wait to walk home with older siblings, and the safety of students who go home to empty houses are all part of the determining factors in the district’s ability to call for an early departure/release during inclement weather.
The Oklahoma City television stations and local radio stations will be notified once the decision has been made to delay the start of the school day, an early departure/release, or the closing of school for the day. Notifications will also be placed on the district Facebook page and the district Twitter feed, which can both be accessed from links at www.apswarriors.com.
SchoolMessenger Notification System will also be utilized by all site principals to contact parents and staff of any school closings, late start, or early departure/release during inclement weather. For more information about SchoolMessenger, please see the link on the homepage of the district website at www.apswarriors.com.
It is always a parent's choice to keep his/her child home or to check his/her child out early from school on inclement weather days if he/she so chooses.
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