Weather-Related Closures
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Snowstorms, sleet, fog, ice, and wind chill warnings can lead to cancelations, delays, or early release from school. The safety of our children is our main priority. Decisions regarding school delays and cancelations are always made in alignment with that priority. Check out Inside the OSD Podcast (Episode 9), where Dr. Bergstrom discusses the process for determining weather-related closures.
If school will be delayed or closed for the day, the District will make every effort to make the decision by 5:30-6:00 AM (the normal timeframe for closures). We understand that many families prefer to make plans for school closures as far in advance as possible; however, weather patterns are not always predictable and weather-related impacts for schools are not often clear until early morning hours on the day of the potential closure. We thank you for your understanding on these days of potential weather-related closures.
At all times and in all cases, families make the final decision on attendance at school on inclement weather days. If no school delay or cancelation is issued and you believe the conditions (e.g., road conditions, temperature) are not appropriate for your student, you are free to keep your student home and the absence will be excused. If you choose to keep your student home, please call the OSD Attendance Line at 608-835-4000, Option #1 to report the absence.
Wind Chill Factor
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Wind chill factor is the main criteria for closing school due to cold temperatures. Below is a summary of what wind chill alerts mean for school closures:
- Wind Chill Warning: the District will either cancel or delay school, depending on the timeframe of the warning.
- Wind Chill Advisory: school will be in session unless it comes along with a storm producing snow that would cause roads to be impassable.
This is an established standard for the majority of Dane County school districts. However, note that different districts may have unique circumstances that can lead to different school closure decisions. For example, districts in urban settings that have large populations of students who walk to school may close at warmer temperatures than school districts that have larger populations of students who ride a bus to school. Alternatively, more suburban districts that have a large population of students who ride the bus to school may be more likely to close during snowfall than urban districts. Ultimately, closure decisions are made on a case-by-case basis for each individual school district.
Communicating Weather-Related Closures
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The Oregon School District will communicate school cancelations or delays in the following ways:
- Campus Portal message alerts - alerts you receive are based on your selected preferences (click for instructions on updating your alert preferences)
- School District website: www.OregonSD.org
- Local news stations
- District Facebook page
Practices for Making Up Inclement Weather Days
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There are three inclement weather days built into our K-12 grade school calendar, which will be treated as “traditional” snow days (no class on these days), if needed. We will use additional strategies, such as a delayed start and online / at-home learning, depending on the weather situation. Specific details will be communicated directly with families as they are known. As always, the last day of school will be announced once the likelihood of inclement weather has passed in spring.