Our Winter Weather Approach

• Safety is the District’s top priority in all weather-related decisions.
• Extreme cold alone does not automatically result in school closure. School buildings are warm and safe and an ideal place for students to be when it is extremely cold outside.
• Decisions are based on a combination of weather conditions, travel safety, and visibility.
• Families are encouraged to make individual attendance decisions based on their circumstances.
• The District uses multiple communication channels to notify families of closures or delays.

Inclement Weather Decision-Making Process

The decision to hold or cancel school due to inclement weather is based on the safety of students and the best information available at the time. Parents always have the option to pick up their children early or keep them home if they feel the weather conditions threaten their child’s safety.

When assessing whether it is safe for children to attend school, the district considers the following factors:

• Visibility and current/expected wind conditions
• Road conditions (current and anticipated) for buses, families, and staff, as well as the status of city and county road crews
• Travel advisories issued by city, county, and state authorities (North Dakota Department of Transportation-ND DOT)
  • ND DOT maps do not always reflect the road conditions within Dickinson city limits
• Timing and amount of precipitation, both current and forecasted
• Expected duration of the storm
• Alerts from the U.S. National Weather Service
• Temperature and wind-chill

k-12 Virtual Learning Schedules PDF