Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools issued the following announcement on January 14.
January 14, 2022 - The safety of all students and of our staff is our top priority when decisions are made about whether schools should be closed, delayed or dismissed early because of inclement, severe or winter weather.
With a winter storm targeting our area, WS/FCS Operations joins local public safety officials in monitoring the storm and its potential impact on the community. We must be prepared should extreme natural events pose a threat to student and staff safety.
As with any inclement weather situation, we encourage parents and staff to monitor our social media pages, check our website, listen for district messages, tests, and emails, and watch local media outlets for any closing, delay, or cancellation information.
Individual schools will contact parents directly about any changes to athletic practices, school events, school field trips, extracurricular activities, or activities, but if the district is closed then all trips/events are canceled. District closings or cancellations will be announced from the district communications team and posted on the district website, social media pages, and the district mobile app as soon as any decision is made. We will also make district phone calls and send out notice to all local media outlets. For more info see our Weather Related Closing or Delays webpage.
When is school closed due to weather?
The district must always make a decision that is the best for all 53,000 of our students. We realize, at times, the district decision may not fit with your individual needs and personal circumstances so we encourage and support our parents in making decisions that are best for you and your child(ren). You are always the best judge of their safety and yours.
With that in mind, here is what you should know about WS/FCS winter and severe weather decisions:
IF it is safe, we try to keep schools open!
We want to minimize the loss of instructional time. We also understand that for many families an unexpected school closing can result in challenges finding childcare.
MARWIS SCREEN What’s considered when deciding to delay, close, or cancel events?
Road temperatures and conditions
Results of Our Transportation Team's roadway analysis and road temperature monitoring using Transportation vehicles equipped with MARWIS technology (see attached pictures)
Student safety and the weather conditions while waiting for the bus. Driver safety while starting and warming up the bus
The Transportation team’s ability to fuel and run daily maintenance to the buses
The safety of students, parents and staff who drive to work and school
National Weather Service forecasts and local media forecasts and alerts
When schools are closed are all other events canceled?
When Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools are closed for the day or closed early the events scheduled in school buildings for those days are also canceled. That includes athletic events, after school programs, and other programs, church groups, or meetings that may be scheduled within our facilities.
What’s considered when deciding to dismiss school early?
Lunch schedules
Tiered Busing Schedules – WS/FCS runs bus routes in tiers. In other words buses, start earlier with routes for middle schools, then move to elementary routes and finally high school routes. Space constraints and driver shortages prevent running all these routes at the same time.
The Transportation team’s ability to refuel and run daily maintenance to the buses
Road temperatures and conditions
The safety of students, parents and staff driving to and from school
National Weather Service forecasts and local media forecasts and alerts
Results of our Transportation Team’s roadway analysis and road temperature monitoring
Weather Vehicle How do parents know when there is a cancellation or delay?
When there is a change in the school schedule due to inclement weather, school system closings or delays will be announced multiple ways if not the day before, by 5 A.M. that day at the latest. We try to give parents as much time to plan for closings or delays as possible.
Announcement options include:
Informational phone calls made to parents and staff. (Make sure your contact info is up-to-date at your child's school)
Our district website, www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us.
Our social media sites, Facebook - Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, Twitter - WS/FC Schools. Instagram @wsfc_schools
WS/FCS mobile app (found on Google play or the App Store)
Local television stations, WS/FCS Cable2 (Spectrum), and the Winston-Salem Journal.
Where can families look for emergency preparedness tips to plan for storms?
ReadyNC.org is the North Carolina's Emergency Management website. It has tips for making plans, protecting your home, emergency alerts, insurance information and more. ReadyForsyth.org is Forsyth County's Emergency Preparedness website which has vital local information as well.
Original source can be found here.
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