When are decisions made about school closures, and how will I know?
The district makes every effort to decide and announce decisions to close schools before 5:30am. The planning and review process begins the night before. Once a decision is made, a message will be posted on our social media channels, district and school websites, local news media stations, and sent to Jeffco families via email, text, and phone.
What factors are used to make a decision?
Weather and road conditions are checked throughout Jefferson County beginning the night before.
Using a variety of resources, the school district gathers as much information as possible and monitors ongoing weather reports from weather forecasting services, the Colorado Department of Transportation, and local and state law enforcement agencies.
Specific personnel who are at district and school sites early and who are located throughout our district are consulted.
After a thorough review of all available data collected, district officials will provide a recommendation before 5am to the district administrator responsible for making the final decision.
Is there a set temperature that would cause the district to close schools?
No, but temperature is one of many factors taken into consideration when making a decision to close or delay school. Extreme temperatures may cause schools to limit recess, off-campus lunch hours for high schools, and/or extracurricular activities.
If a school day is cancelled, will there be a make-up day?
State law requires a specific number of hours of classroom instruction each school year. If a school does not meet this requirement the school year must be extended. Potential closure make-up days are built into the school calendar.
Sometimes schools have power outages or other emergencies such as broken pipes. When this happens, what is the procedure at Jeffco Public Schools?
District personnel make every effort to protect students, provide for their comfort, and ensure their safety. Sometimes power outages cause classrooms to get cold, but the district does not want to send students home unsupervised. School principals can make the decision to send students home. If this happens, the district uses social media and the email, text, and phone capabilities of
SchoolMessenger to notify families and will post notifications on the district and school websites. The news media may also be notified, depending on the situation. Students will not be transported home without parent notification.
How can I make sure my student is safe?
Families have the option to keep children home when weather conditions are extreme.
Students should always be dressed appropriately for whatever weather conditions exist. No one can predict when a fire alarm might go off or when buildings might have to be evacuated due to an emergency.
Parents are encouraged to make arrangements at the beginning of each school year for their children in case of school closures and plan for the rare situation when it is necessary to close an individual school because of a power failure or another circumstance.
Parents should always maintain current contact information and emergency contact information in Infinite Campus.
What about school bus transportation when the weather is bad?
All bus stops will be serviced in inclement weather unless an emergency announcement is made. In inclement weather, buses may run late for a variety of reasons, but usually less than 15 minutes. Prepare your child in suitable clothing to wait additional time at the bus stop.
Parents should have a contingency plan in the event that a bus is running extremely late or breaks down before reaching the bus stop. Discuss with your child what to do and who to call if the bus does not arrive.
Does the district ever close only some schools, while others remain open?
Yes. The district may close select schools due to unsafe conditions, but leave other schools open that are not affected by the issue. The Jeffco Public Schools district covers more than 770 square miles and conditions can vary drastically throughout the county.