January 3, 2023
Dear Cardinal Families,
As we look ahead to the winter months, we want to share a few updates regarding Lawson R-XIV Schools’ inclement weather plans. Our goal, as always, is to ensure safety during inclement weather events. While we understand that snow days may be fun for kids, we also understand that canceling classes is often a burden for parents/guardians. As always, we will only cancel school when conditions dictate that it is necessary to keep students safe.
How/When do we decide to close school?
The decision to close school is based on several factors, including temperature and wind chill, snow and ice levels, road conditions, and how these conditions are forecast to develop over the day. We aim to send school closing notifications out before 9:30pm the evening before the school closure. However, this might not always be possible in such cases; the decision will be made between 5:30 and 6:00am on the day of the closure.
How will I be notified of school closings?
Cancelations will always be shared first by phone and SMS message. If your contact information has changed recently, please make sure that you have informed your school. Phone and text will always be our top priorities for sharing urgent updates. Other ways of tracking information from us about events like snow days include Facebook, Twitter, and email.
What if inclement weather develops during the school day?
We open with the intent of remaining open for the whole school day. Early dismissals are used only in extreme situations. In such cases, all afterschool activities will be canceled.
When will school be made up?
Our 2023-2024 academic student attendance calendar was designed so that weather-related cancellations will NOT require any added make-up days. Furthermore, the district will NOT use virtual learning, also known as the Alternative Method of Instruction (AMI), on a canceled school day. These decisions were made to avoid confusion about when school is in session and what is required of students and staff in the event of a weather-related cancelation.
Please get in touch with your school if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Dr. Michael Stephenson
Superintendent