Inclement Weather and Emergency School Closings

We want students to be in school learning whenever possible. However, there are times when severe winter weather or dangerous driving conditions make it necessary to change the school schedule. We attend National Weather Service webinars and consult with our buildings and grounds staff, city staff, and surrounding school districts to best understand weather conditions and related factors that could affect our schools. Unless we announce otherwise, assume school is in session.

Why would the District consider closing or delaying the school day?

The decision to close or delay the school day is almost always due to inclement weather, but it could also be the result of power loss, water main break, and/or other emergency situations that may occur within the District. In the case of inclement weather, the Superintendent works with the Transportation Department to verify the conditions of the roads and the ability for all buses to operate safely and for drivers to arrive in time for routes to run.

Who makes the decision to close school?

The Superintendent or their designee decides all school closings and/or schedule changes. The primary factors that go into the decision to cancel school due to inclement weather are: road conditions, temperature, visibility, and projections for incoming weather during the day. The National Weather Service is our source for weather information. As we evaluate these factors, keeping our students, staff, and families safe is our highest priority.

Decisions to cancel or shorten the regular school day and after-school activities shall be made by the Superintendent or their designee in consultation with other staff and may include consultation with local city/county personnel and neighboring school districts, as appropriate.

Please note: Parents make the final decision about whether to send their children to school if they believe weather conditions present a safety issue. Up to five weather-related excused absences are allowed when a parent or guardian determines that travel conditions are unsafe and the school district has not closed school.

When does the District make the decision to cancel school?

Due to the often unpredictable winter weather in Minnesota, in most cases, we wait until early morning before notifying families (typically by 5:30 a.m.). However, there may be instances when we make a decision the night before.

How will families be notified?

The District Communications Department will communicate all school closing information through:

An alert notification will be sent to you by phone, text, and e-mail based on information on file with the school district and any preferences you have selected for notification in cases of emergency.
A "pop up" alert message will be posted on each district and school homepage.
We will post a message on the School District 197 Facebook and Instagram social media pages.
We will share information via school closing messages on WCCO (Channel 4), KSTP (Channel 5), KMSP (Channel 9), KARE (Channel 11), and WCCO radio (830 AM).

If you do not receive a phone call, text, or email from the school district, find a message on our website, or see a posting on local media channels, school is in session.

How are Community Education, SAC, and after-school activities impacted by school closing?

Late starts and early dismissals are difficult for many programs and families. With this in mind, District Administration will do its best to keep these to a minimum. Early dismissals will be determined as conditions dictate. All families should have a contingency plan for their students during school closings.

In the event of a late start, typically morning Early Childhood Preschool, School Age Care (SAC), and Community Education Classes will also be canceled.

In the event of an early dismissal, all afternoon and evening Community Education classes, SAC, and all after-school athletics and activities will be canceled. All facility rental reservations will be canceled. Thompson Park Activity Center will be closed.

What are student learning expectations when school is canceled?

If school is canceled, there will be no school expectations for student learning at home during the first canceled day. E-Learning will begin on the second weather-related cancellation during the school year. Students complete school work from home on e-Learning days to help keep the school year on track and eliminate the need to add school days to the end of the year.

The decision to move to e-Learning will be announced no later than 5:30 a.m. on the day of an e-Learning day. Announcements will be made using the same communication methods we use for school cancellations (phone, text, website, media reports, etc.)

More Information

District policy on weather-related absences

e-Learning Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will there be any live instruction on e-Learning Days?

A: No. To accommodate the varying needs of our families, students will not be required to log in to live instruction on an e-Learning day. Instead, teachers will provide activities for students to do independently. Teachers will, however, be available for questions throughout the day.

Q: Will teachers be available on e-Learning Days?

A: Yes! Teachers will be available to answer questions by school email during typical school hours. Elementary school teachers will also be available for two, 1-hour time periods via Google Meet. Elementary teachers will communicate when and how to connect in their e-Learning message. Middle and high school teachers will also be available from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. via Google meet. Directions on how to connect with teachers will be provided in Canvas.

Q: What if I need help with Seesaw or Canvas?

A: For help with digital tools like Seesaw and Canvas, contact your teacher. If they are not able to help you can also call 651-403-8400 and they can direct you to the tech pro for your school.

Q: How is attendance taken on e-Learning days?

A: Students are expected to engage in the work provided by their teacher. Elementary students are to complete activities as directed on their choice board. Middle school and high school students, they should log in to Canvas and check EACH of their courses for their assigned work.

Q: What if my child is sick OR cannot participate in e-Learning?

A: Just like a normal school day, if your child is sick and/or not able to participate in the e-Learning day, call the school office and report them absent. Students should make up work just like they would for a regular missed school day.

Q: When are e-Learning assignments due?

A: Teachers will communicate due dates for all e-Learning assignments.

Q: What if my child receives special education or English Language Learner services?

A: Special Education teachers and service providers will send families information needed for e-Learning days via email, SeeSaw or Talking Points.

Updating emergency contact information

When school is closed, released early, has a delayed start, or a flexible learning day is called, our automated e-mail, phone, and text alert system is our most effective means of notifying parents and families in the shortest amount of time. In these cases, it is important that we have the most up-to-date parent/guardian contact information (home phone, cell phone, e-mail addresses).

To update your contact information, including phone numbers or email addresses, please login to Parent Portal.

If you need assistance with this process, if you need login information, or if you need to set up your Campus Portal account, please contact the Technology Help Desk at 651-403-8400.

Consulting with other school districts

Sometimes, snowfall-related cancellations can affect metro areas very differently whereas cold weather impacts each of the metro districts in a similar way. Although each school district makes its own decision, communication and consultation among school districts is very common and necessary. Because we share services with neighboring districts, it's always important for bordering districts to talk to each other before making their decisions.

Late Bus Notifications

The District’s Transportation Department uses My Ride K-12—a school bus tracking app for your mobile device. The app provides a bus-location function, provides all of your bus stop/pickup information, and sends push notifications when your student’s buses are running late. Please note that the bus-location function in the My Ride K-12 app is different from a real-time GPS tracking system like the Here Comes the Bus app. The Here Comes the Bus app is still available to use for tracking the real-time location of your student's bus.

Downloading and using the My Ride K-12 app is easy—download the app to your phone, select “School District 197” and follow the prompts to register your student. You will need your child's six-digit Student ID, which you can find in the Campus Parent Portal here or contact your child’s school. For more detailed instructions on downloading the app, check out the My Ride K-12 Section on our website.

Communication Methods:
You can expect to hear from us by the following methods when buses are running late:

My Ride K-12 mobile app: Push notifications will be sent to registered app users when buses are running 10 or more minutes late.
Here Comes the Bus App: Real-time bus tracking is available.
District Text and Email Message: A text and email will be sent to families when buses are running 10 or more minutes late.

If you are not set up yet on My Ride K-12—find user guides and simple instructions on the Transportation Website at www.isd197.org/bus.

Please note: We are aware that both My Ride K-12 and Here Comes the Bus apps may experience intermittent malfunctions. We are in constant communication with the vendors to improve accuracy and reliability.

If you have questions about this process, please contact the Transportation team at 651-403-8320, 651-403-8324 for Spanish, or email at transportation@isd197.org.