CLOSING OR DELAYING SCHOOL

In the event of inclement weather, the decision to open or close schools will be made no later than 6:00 a.m. on the day in question and communicated as soon as possible to parents/guardians and staff in several ways.

• District Facebook and Twitter accounts will reflect delays and closures immediately.
• The information will be posted on the district’s website.
• The district will call local radio and television stations by 6:15 a.m. to inform them whether or not schools are to be open or closed. The stations will then broadcast this information to the public.
• Automated phone calls and texts regarding closure will be made as soon as possible to parents and staff for whom the district has current phone numbers.

What are the factors in determining the closing of school or a delayed start due to inclement weather? The #1 variable is safety. This is determined if buses can run and our parents and young drivers can make it to school safely when exercising reasonable caution. If one part of our district is icy and cannot be traveled safely, we may make the call to delay or cancel even though another part of the district may not have the same dangerous road conditions. In the event of a delayed start, we still must start the bus routes approximately two hours before the delayed start time. Once schools are open for the day, every effort will be made to ensure that classes are held for the entire school day so as to not inconvenience working parents or disrupt the learning environment.

Does it matter what the schools around LEISD are doing? No. As we all know, Arklatex weather can be patchy and affect many areas differently. We make this decision based on what is happening in Liberty-Eylau.

Who makes the decision? The procedure for making the decision to close schools begins early in the morning when school personnel drive the streets to check road conditions. Personnel confer with the police department, and the office of emergency management. The findings are reported to the superintendent of schools, who makes the final decision to open or close schools.

What is the procedure if a decision is made during the school day? In the event that inclement weather occurs during a school day, LEISD will communicate with parents in the following ways:

• Facebook and Twitter
• District and Campus Websites
• Local News and Radio Stations
• Automated Phone Calls
• Parent Emails/Texts

How is the community notified? Notices will be posted on the district and campus social media accounts and websites. In addition, we use E-Notes to call all staff and students. This is why it is VERY important that LEISD has your most current contact information (home phone, cell). If you have changed any of these and have not contacted your school, you may not receive ISD notifications. We also notify all of the major television and radio stations in the Arklatex.