Inclement Weather Procedures

In the case of inclement weather, Fieldcrest CUSD#6 will only contact parents and staff when schools are closed. If there is no announcement by 6:00 a.m., then schools should be considered to be open. In the event school needs to be closed, parents and staff will be notified via phone, email, text, the Unit 6 website, and our Facebook page.  We would also announce whether the day is an E-Learning Day or a true Snow Day (no school at all).  Principals would share their plans for E-Learning if and when it happens.

Making the decision to cancel school is difficult and involves many factors. The safety of our students and staff is always the primary driver of such decisions.  Additional factors include:

  • Building conditions: Do the schools have power, light, and heat?

  • Site conditions: Are the parking lots plowed? Can buses get in and turn around? Can parents drop off students? Are the exit doors free of snow?

  • Bus operations: Can the bus drivers get to the district? Do the buses start? Do the drivers feel comfortable driving?

  • Road conditions: Are the roads continually plowed and is traffic moving? Can staff travel to school safely?

  • Air temperature: How cold is it? What is the wind chill? Can children safely wait at the bus stop or walk to school?

When severe weather is forecasted, we are in constant contact with the district’s transportation director who is in constant contact with our road commissioners. We also speak with other surrounding school districts to get their input.

Snow - In general, Fieldcrest CUSD#6 will not close school based solely on a forecast of snow, but rather the hazardous weather must be real and present. In some cases it might be prudent to make a decision in advance, however, most of the time the decision will be made early in the morning, based on conditions that have presented overnight.  

Extremely cold temperatures - There are times when schools may need to be closed due to dangerously cold temperatures. In these situations, wind chill is also taken into account, as well as the extent to which the temperatures are sustained throughout the school day.  Unit #6 will most likely close school based on conditions where frostbite may occur after approximately 30 minutes of exposure.  This is typically around 25 degrees below zero.


Additional safety measures for students - On extreme cold weather days when school is in session, all buildings will be open at 7:30 for student drop off. Also, if parents feel that it is unsafe for their student to come to school, parents may keep their student home with an excused absence as long as they are called into the school office. Keep in mind that this absence does count against the student’s overall total.

Please know that we take the decision about whether or not to close school based on weather events very seriously. We understand that any change to our normal routine may cause a problem for some families, so we make decisions on what we believe to be best for our students.