Inclement Weather Procedures for Coweta County School System

From Coweta County Schools Press Release

As winter approaches and, with it, a greater chance of inclement weather, the Coweta County School System wants to remind parents and the community of the procedures that our schools and system follow in the event of severe weather conditions.

During severe weather watches or warnings, our school system works with local authorities to monitor conditions and makes decisions regarding arrival and dismissal based upon known conditions.  Adjustments are made as needed.

In the event that schools are delayed, closed or released early, there are a variety of ways that the school system notifies parents, including:
· Automated phone call (OneCallNow)

Parents are urged to make sure that their child’s school has their latest contact information, including new phone numbers, so that they can be contacted during such events.

In the event of severe weather and school closure, a determination will be made each day on whether to continue the closure or delay school, based on anticipated travel conditions and other factors.  Once a determination is made, the school system will notify parents and the community about the next day’s status.

The school system tries to make such determinations as quickly as possible.  But storm severity, weather arrival and anticipated travel conditions can be difficult to assess.  If the school system cannot make a final determination on the evening before a school day, a determination early the following morning is necessary.  Notices are typically placed on the system’s website (cowetaschools.net) that the school system is continuing to evaluate conditions.  The school system will notify parents immediately once a determination to close or delay school is made.

In the event of a school delay, the system will notify parents of the length of the delay.  For a delay of two hours, for example, parents and students should assume that all normal school procedures are delayed two hours.  Bus pick-up is two hours from usual times (at 9 or 9:30 a.m., for example, though parents should anticipate the possibility of some delay).  School classes will also start two hours later (at 10 p.m. and 10:30 a.m. for example), though school dismissal times would remain the same (2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.).

Similarly, if an inclement weather situation coincides with and delays school dismissal, the Coweta County School System will make every effort to notify parents about conditions, the length of any delays or any changes to normal operating procedures.

Other weather-related contingencies or tips include:
· Parents of bus riders should also be aware that extremely cold morning temperatures can cause delays on morning routes.  A severe storm watch may also cause delays.  Our transportation department works to pick up students as quickly as possible during these conditions.
· In the case of tornado warnings, we re-route buses to the nearest school sites and shelter in place.  We also utilize fire stations, if needed.  Once a tornado warning has been lifted, and conditions are safe, we will resume bus service.
· Steps parents can take include ensuring children are dressed as warmly as possible during the winter months and remaining with children until they are picked up when extreme weather conditions exist.
· In the event of school closure, schools often employ a number of resources through which parents or students can stay abreast of school work and assignments, including Remind texts from teachers, Google Classroom, class websites, or other online content assigned by teachers.
· It is important that each child’s school has their parent’s current emergency contact information, including home and work phone numbers for our calling system.  Parents should take the time to update that information with their child’s school if needed.