Inclement Weather and Emergency Early Dismissal & Closings
The decision to close school is made by the Superintendent with the advice of many others.
On mornings when inclement weather is forecast, school division employees begin checking the roads between 2:00 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. Staff members also consult with law enforcement, weather services, other school divisions, the Virginia Department of Transportation, and county emergency management services. Each section of the county is checked since weather conditions can vary greatly between the eastern and western areas. The school division may opt to delay opening of school to allow for additional time to verify weather forecasts, or to allow weather conditions and visibility to improve. If conditions are not safe for student travel, the Superintendent may opt to close school.
How to find out if there is a delay or closing
When there is closing, delay, or early closing once school is in session, the division will notify major radio and television stations. Parents will also be notified by phone, email and/or text notifications through Messages XR. It is very important that student contact information is up-to-date so that families will receive emergency notifications.
Contact your child's school directly if you need to verify or update any information or to report issues with receiving notifications.
Emergency Early Dismissal
There will be times when weather or other emergency situations such as loss of water, will result in an early closing. Parents need to develop a plan for the care of their children if there is a need to dismiss students early. When school closes, especially after the school day has begun, children need to know specifically where they are to go and what they are to do. Parents need to be very clear in instructing a child to do what they want them to do, such as, go to a grandparent or a trusted neighbor. Arrangements for responsible adults to meet children at the bus stop should be in place prior to an emergency closing. Teachers also need to be made aware of the need to place children on different buses if necessary.
When the decision is made to close early, it takes approximately one and a half hours for the buses to be in place and ready to leave. Bus drivers must be located and notified to report to work. Dismissal times are staggered to allow for double-run buses to return for the second pick-up. Please keep in mind that dismissal times are estimates. During bad weather buses move slowly and may take awhile to arrive home.
Contact your child's school directly if you have any questions about an emergency early dismissal.
Inclement Weather & Emergency Closing Notifications
OCPS utilizes a mass communications platform called Messages XR which allows the division to send emails, texts, voice calls, and website alerts all from one platform. By streamlining our communications process, we are able to communicate with families and staff more efficiently and effectively. Learn more here.
