Shelby County Board of Education
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3002
 
Issued Date: 08/26/10
Revised: 07/27/11


EMERGENCY CLOSINGS


The Superintendent is empowered to close the schools or to dismiss them early in the event of hazardous weather or other emergencies which threaten the health or safety of students and personnel. Such action is never to be taken lightly for public education is one of the principal functions of the community and should be maintained at a normal level except in extreme circumstances. When this regularity of operation ceases, serious difficulties are caused and the welfare of children may be jeopardized. Schools may not properly be closed merely to avoid inconvenience. While it may be prudent, under circumstances to excuse all students from attending school, to delay the opening hour, or to dismiss students early, the administration has the responsibility to see that as much of the administrative, supervisory and operational activity is continued as may be possible. Therefore if conditions affect only a single school, only that school shall be closed.

In making the decision to close schools, the Superintendent or his or her designee shall consider many factors, including the following principal ones relating to the fundamental concern for the safety and health of children:

  1. Weather conditions both existing and predicted;

  2. Driving, traffic and parking conditions, affecting public and private transportation facilities;

  3. Actual occurrence or imminent possibility of any emergency condition which would make the operation of schools difficult or dangerous;

  4. Inability of teaching personnel to report for duty, which might result in inadequate supervision of students.

 

The Superintendent shall weigh these factors and shall take action to close the schools only after consultation with traffic and weather authorities, local principals, and school officials for neighboring districts. Students, parents, and staff shall be informed early in each school year of the procedures which will be used to notify them in case of emergency closing. When schools are closed for emergency reasons, staff members shall comply with Board policy in reporting for work.

A teacher, including a teacher on pre-approved leave or other type of leave, shall not be charged with a day of leave for any day on which the teacher's school or the school district is closed due to natural disaster, inclement weather, serious outbreak or contagious illness, or other unexpected event.

In the event schools are closed due to inclement weather or other calamity, all extra-curricular activities scheduled for those days will be canceled or postponed.