School Closings & Alerts
School District 197 makes every possible effort to keep schools open, in most weather conditions, if bus travel is safe. Unless we announce otherwise, assume school is in session.Parents make the final decision about whether or not to send their children to school if they believe weather conditions present a safety issue. No school credit is lost and the absence is excused if a parent decides to keep a child home because of the weather.
For any snowy or cold conditions, please be sure children are dressed for the weather and particularly if they are traveling by bus or walking to school. With winter weather, please also allow for the occasional delay with bus pick-up and delivery times.
We make decisions to close school looking at a number of factors. Buses must be able to start and run dependably. Local road conditions must be safe and passable. Windchills must be safe, especially during bus pick up and drop off times. When there are sustained wind chills of 40 to 45 degrees below zero during critical travel times, conditions are not safe for students. Like neighboring districts, the National Weather Service is our source for weather information.
Due to the often unpredictable winter weather in Minnesota, in most cases we wait until the morning of each school day before notifying families. However, there may be rare instances when we make a decision the night before
- How are decisions made for when schools remain open or close?
- What are all the potential scenarios with winter weather closings?
- How will I know if school is closed, released early, there is a delayed start, or a flexible learning day?
- Keep your contact information updated
- What are the procedures for when there is a two-hour delayed start?
- What is a flexible learning day and what are the procedures when one is called?
- How are decisions made related to cold?
- Do other districts influence our decision to close, dismiss early, delay start or have a flexible learning day?
How are decisions made for when schools remain open or close?
What are all the potential scenarios with winter weather closings?
How will I know if school is closed, released early, there is a delayed start, or a flexible learning day?
Keep your contact information updated
What are the procedures for when there is a two-hour delayed start?
What is a flexible learning day and what are the procedures when one is called?
How are decisions made related to cold?
Do other districts influence our decision to close, dismiss early, delay start or have a flexible learning day?
Our goal is always to have school in session.
We never want to lose a day of valuable learning, and we have a history of remaining open. The district makes every possible effort to keep schools open, in most weather conditions, if buses can run reliably and the wait at the bus stop and the walk to school are safe.
Throughout the school year, unless we announce otherwise, assume that school will be in session. When schools are open we know that students are in safe and warm places.