INCLEMENT WEATHER PROCEDURES

Soft Start and Student Arrival:

Students are allowed to enter the building at 8:30am each day as part of our Soft Start policy.  This eliminates much of the issues that arise on severe weather days.  If the weather before school is well below 20 degrees, students will be allowed to enter the building and go straight to their classrooms beginning at 8:25.  

 

Inclement weather includes when the temperature drops below 20 degrees or severe rain or snow is present.  Students should arrive in appropriate clothes for the weather.

 

Lightning Dismissal:

A lightning dismissal will be put in place when lightning is within close range of our school. We use 2 electronic lightning detectors as well as the Weather Bug App to monitor weather and lighting.

 

As safety allows, signs will be placed outside of school indicating a LIGHTNING dismissal. Parents will also receive an email message and a text with lightning dismissal details. 

 

Please do not call our office to check but use the above avenues since this is a hectic time releasing students. 

 
In the event of a delayed dismissal: 

We hold busses until the lightening clears for your child's safety. We also hold all walkers and bike riders. Parents are allowed to come in and pick up their children from classrooms before school ends - please check in at the front office. 

When school ends, you are welcome to come through the front doors to take your children home.  We will allow parents in through the front door and the back drop off loop door. These doors will be monitored by adults. You will only be allowed to take your own children home, unless you have permission to take others. Students will be allowed to call home or text using their cell phones as soon as the bell rings.

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Delayed Start and School Closure: 

The district has procedures regarding delayed start times due to snow accumulation in the mornings. 

District personnel check roads at 4 am in the morning. They decide if it will be a late start before school starts by Feeder Region (usually based on bus access on side streets and safety of students walking). We are in the ThunderRidge Feeder Area. 

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School closure due to snow is usually called in the early morning as well. 

You can check the District web site (www.dcsdk12.org) for school closures or the District hotline 303-387-SNOW (7669). 

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We try our best to communicate delays and closures due to weather via email messenger, text, and on our Facebook and Website Pages. It is the parents' responsibility to check the District webpage and local news (channels 2, 4, 7, 9, 20 and 31).

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On a delayed start school will start at 10:10 am and students will be able to begin to enter the building beginning at 10:00.  We encourage you not to drop your student off earlier as teachers are not always in their classrooms and ready to receive students.

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Other Early Dismissal Events:

 

On rare occasions, we have had early dismissals if a blizzard is expected. Parents will also receive an email messenger and a text with dismissal details.