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.

School District 197 makes decisions to close school by looking at a number of factors. Buses must be able to start and run dependably. Local road conditions must be safe and passable. Wind chills must be safe, especially during bus pick-up and drop-off times. (For example, when there are sustained wind chills of 40 to 45 degrees below zero during critical travel times, conditions are not safe for students.) 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 early morning before notifying families. However, there may be rare instances when we make a decision the night before.

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.