School Closure Information
Wisconsin winters seem to create the potential for severe weather warranting school closings or delays, some years more frequently than others! We take the responsibility for each weather call very seriously despite the decisions being far from straightforward.
Our goal is to make the “right” call when it comes to closings and delays. Many variables are considered when attempting to best ensure the safety of students and staff as we attempt to accommodate all of the families in the District. Weather-related decisions in a District with a land-area of nearly 125 square miles, including eight municipalities and two counties, will not always be perfect. The status of neighboring districts may even be different than what we experience in our District. Keep in mind, we will do what we deem to be best for Osceola School District. Ultimately, a student’s attendance at school is a parent or guardian’s decision. If parents and guardians feel it is unsafe for their child to travel to school, the absence will be excused.
Our Considerations:
- Can students get to school safely and get home safely? While many students are bused to school, many students drive. We will take into consideration both modes of transportation when making our school closing and delay decisions.
- Weather forecasting. We’ll do our best to understand snow, cold, wind, road conditions, and visibility throughout those varying 125 square miles in our District. We will utilize “spotters” (school employees, plow truck drivers and law enforcement) throughout the District to provide us guidance when possible.
- Keeping routines for families and the school. We all want students in school. School staff want to keep the learning going and parents wish to minimize disruptions to daily routines. However, inclement weather may trump those goals. Parents and guardians: ultimately you will make what you deem to be the “right” call for your student(s). It should be noted however, that schools must meet state requirements for attendance and if cancellations exceed what is allowed in our calendar, make-up days may be required.
We appreciate your patience and flexibility this winter regarding possible closings, delays and early outs at the Osceola Schools. Please plan accordingly and, as always, do what you feel is best for your students and family.
Here’s to a safe winter season!
Where and How are Closures Communicated?
- Parents will be notified through the automated School Messenger system via phone call, text and email regarding late starts, early closures or cancellations. Families opt in to the various communication methods.
- Communication will be posted on the:
- District website
- District Facebook and Instagram pages
- TV Channels 4, 5, 9 and 11
- Radio station WCCO (AM 830)
Two Hour Delay Start Times
If the District needs to delay the start of school, the individual building times are:
- Elementary School 10:00 am
- Intermediate School 9:55 am
- Middle School 10:00 am
- High School 10:00 am
- Kids Klub: 8:00 am
Bus times: Adjust your child’s normal pickup time to be 2 hours later. For example, if their regular pickup time is 6:45 a.m., it will be at 8:45 a.m. on a two-hour late start day.
Breakfast: A Grab & GO breakfast will be available!
After School Activities
When school is closed or dismissed early due to weather, school district-sponsored activities, athletics, and recreation activities are also canceled (even if there is an away activity at a district that may be open). However, if school is in session all day, but inclement weather is forecast for the afternoon and/or evening, the Athletic Director and administrative team will decide the closures of after-school/evening activities by approximately 2:00 pm.
Early Dismissal
What if the weather worsens during the day?
There are times when an early dismissal is unavoidable. We are asking parents and guardians to consider this scenario and have a plan in place should we dismiss school early. We realize this is a tough situation for families, so it is critical we have complete and accurate contact information in Skyward for parents, guardians and emergency contacts. In the event that the weather worsens and schools remain open, parents and guardians still have the option to pick up their child early by following normal office procedures.
Cold Weather
In cold weather-only decisions (e.g., no snow or other road-impacting conditions), we use a sustained wind chill warning (-35 degrees below) as the threshold. If the National Weather Service changes a wind chill advisory to a wind chill warning, the District will close school for all or part of a day, depending on the projected time of the warning. This threshold is consistently agreed upon by regional school districts, though remember that “warning” or “advisory” status can vary by microclimate.
Snow Storms
When determining whether a snowstorm closure is necessary, our school district monitors the estimated snow accumulation and the storm's timing through the National Weather Service. We also consult with city public works officials, our transportation company, and neighboring school districts, typically starting at about 4:00 am.
Kids Klub
In order to ensure everyone can plan ahead, here is how Kids Klub will work on inclement weather days.
- Kids Klub will not be open on days that school is closed due to inclement weather. This includes cold and/or snow days.
- Kids Klub will be open for late starts and early release days due to inclement weather.
- Late starts - Kids Klub is open from 8:00-10:00am. Breakfast: A Grab & GO breakfast will be available!
- Early Release - We ask that students are picked up as soon as possible when school is released early due to bad weather. We remain open until the last child is picked up. Please know that Kids Klub is not a full time child care center. It is a wraparound program that provides care before and after school.
Kids Klub is also open on full in-service days (pre-registration is required) and for summer programming which allows us to staff for 12 hour days. We do not have staff or programming to serve families for short-notice closures. We ask that you please have a plan for when these services are not available.
Make Up Days
If the District closes school for any weather-related situation, the plan is as follows:
- Days 1 and 2 will be traditional snow days with no academic expectations.
- Day 3 we would use Monday, April 21 as a school-day. It is currently an in-service day on our school calendar.
- If we have more, Day 4 and beyond, the District would implement at-home learning days.
- Each building will communicate the expectations of learning if we reach 4 or more closures.
Update You Contact Information to Receive Notifications
Now is a great time to update your contact information in Skylert for weather-related school messages.
🔗Here are the directions for you to be sure you get texts, emails, calls from Skylert.
