Inclement Weather Procedures

Staff, Students, and Parents/Guardians: When inclement weather occurs, the Superintendent and his staff will evaluate weather and road conditions prior to 5:00 a.m. All staff & student homes will receive an alert via the School Messenger Alert System, as well as a message posted on our web home page at www.newportwildcats.org if there is a delay in the start of the school day or if the district is closing.

In the past, most school districts participated in the School Closing Network, and closings and delays were also televised on local stations. Unfortunately, the company that received those calls closed its doors this year. Local TV stations are working together to form a new system for schools to call in these announcements but the system is not up and running yet. For now, the only message you will receive regarding closing or delay is via the School Messenger Alert System and our webpage. Please ensure your current phone number is on file or you will miss these important alerts.

This policy will also be followed during other emergencies such as electrical problems, no water, heat, fire, floods, etc. when the district determines circumstances that call for changing the school day for staff and students.

How Does the Wind Chill Affect School Being Delayed or Closed?

During the winter months several factors come into play that could delay the start of the school day or cause school to be closed altogether.  One such factor is the wind chill on a given day. On particularly cold mornings we continuously monitor the National Weather Service and closely monitor the weather conditions. There are two possible scenarios that come from the National Weather Service; a Wind Chill Advisory and a Wind Chill Warning. The National Weather Service in Wilmington, OH defines the two as the following:

Wind Chill Advisory: Wind chills between -10 and -24 degrees and at least a wind of 6 MPH or more

Wind Chill Warning: Wind chills -25 degrees and below with at least a wind of 6 MPH or more

When the National Weather Service issues a Wind Chill Warning for Campbell County before the school day begins we will make a decision to close schools. It is quite likely we will make this type of decision on the morning of the day in question as it is hard to predict what the wind chill will be the night before. If there is a Wind Chill Advisory for the county, schools will likely be open unless there are operational problems with the bus fleet or mechanical problems in the school buildings. Buildings and the bus fleet are assessed in the morning prior to school by 6:00 AM.

As a parent if you determine that the weather conditions are too dangerous for your child to be out we respect your decision. You are free to contact your child’s school to request an excused absence for the day. Please make sure you contact the attendance office at your child’s school to report the absence.

Understand that the safety of our staff and students is our top priority when making the decision to delay or close school. We can assure you that our school buildings are warm, safe and an ideal place for students to be when it is extremely cold outside. Parents should make sure their child is dressed appropriately for the cold weather. The district urges students to wear winter hats, gloves, heavy coats and boots. Frostbite and hypothermia are serious risks and need to be taken into consideration by parents. If your child does not have a heavy coat, hat, boots or gloves please call the Family Resource Youth Service Center of his/her school; these centers have limited supplies to help those students in need.
To get more information on how the wind chill is calculated see the National Weather Service Wind Chill Chart from the National Weather Service.

Tony Watts
Superintendent

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