Cold Weather Message
from Superintendent Dr. Curtis Cain
Dear WSD Parents and Staff,
We have received a number of inquiries regarding the cold weather advisories for this week and how cold it needs to be to close school. First, let me assure you, we are closely monitoring the forecast and weather conditions as we always do to ensure student safety. Secondly, there is no “magic number” we use to call off school. There are many factors that are evaluated when we consider delaying or closing school related to inclement weather. Some of those factors include temperature, wind chill, weather and road conditions. We take the National Weather Service’s Wind Chill Chart into consideration as a guide to assist with the decision as well. If and when we make a determination that it is simply too dangerously cold to have school, parents and staff will be notified across all available communication channels as we do with other emergency school delays or closings.
In the meantime, as we prepare for falling temperatures this week, we encourage you to dress your child in layers and limit their exposure to the cold. Consider taking the extra time, if you can, to have them wait in your warm car for the bus. For our part, we will be plugging our buses into heaters overnight to ensure they will start and can be warmed up early to prepare for morning routes. As with everything else, the more we work together, the stronger and safer we are as a community.
Sincerely,
Curtis Cain, Ph.D.
Superintendent