As we approach the winter months and the possibility of delayed starts and snow days, we are writing to remind you of our inclement weather policies. Covering over 770 square miles, Jeffco Public Schools includes metro and foothills areas, as well as some mountain communities. Jeffco Public Schools rarely takes snow days or implements a delayed start time. We live in an area where snow is typical in the winter and unless the storm is extreme, school will not be cancelled. Parents and guardians can always make the decision to not send their children to school that day if they feel it is unsafe. Our schools are flexible with late arrivals and will always excuse a student absence when called in by a parent or guardian.
When considering snow closures, we rely on many data sources to inform our decision. These include CDOT and Jeffco County Road & Bridge Department, Skyview Weather and other real-time forecast services. We also use inspections by staff and community volunteers living in our neighborhoods to report on road conditions during and throughout the storm, forecasts for later in the day, and input from our expert drivers and maintenance crew in Jeffco Transportation Services. The safety and security of our students and staff is always our top priority. We make the best decision possible given the information we have and the timing with which we need to make the call. While our county, municipalities and CDOT are expert snow removers, sometimes the timing and impact of an incoming storm changes.
We make our open or closed decision as early as possible in order to accommodate the school bus dispatch, food services deliveries, and substitute teacher arrangements. We publicly announce the closure or delayed start and notify families directly by 6 a.m. If a large incoming storm hits early the night before and is forecast to continue throughout the next day, it is possible that we may make the closure or delay decision before midnight. If that happens, we will send out an email notification to families and the media as soon as possible and implement our phone and text system after 5:30 a.m.
What are the possibilities during a weather situation?
After-school activities: If weather conditions during the school day turn dangerous, after-school activities may be cancelled.
The decision will be made no later than 1:00 p.m., and communicated to all families and staff shortly afterwards. All students are expected to go home after school if after-school activities are cancelled and after-school care programs may close early. Staff will remain until all students are picked up, however we ask parents to please pick up students as soon as they are able if notified of after-school cancellations.
2-hour delay schedule: A 2-hour delay of the start of school due to bad weather.
A late start decision will be made as early as possible and direct notification will be by 6:00 a.m. Buses are delayed two hours, and students are not expected to arrive at school until two hours after the regular start time. There will be limited staff at schools to supervise any early-arriving students.
This flyer summarizes what happens at your school if a 2-hour delay is announced. We implemented this new delay schedule in Spring 2019 and hope this new policy will help keep everyone safe on the roads while also keeping our schools open.
Snow day: The determination to cancel school for an entire day will happen as early as possible. Families and staff will be directly notified by 6:00 a.m.
Messaging: School closures are announced through a variety of channels: posted first on our district website,
Twitter and
Facebook pages, then sent to Jeffco families via email, text, and phone using
SchoolMessenger. Depending on your personal settings, you will receive an email, text message, and/or phone message. In addition to direct messaging, media outlets are notified of cancellations and delays. News outlets, websites, and social media may have the information prior to direct notification to families and staff because we do not want to message families after 9 p.m. or earlier than 5:30 a.m.
What families can do to stay informed:
Parents and guardians should ensure we always have the most current contact information for them and any emergency contacts, through
JeffcoConnect and follow all
Jeffco Public Schools social media channels. We also suggest you
bookmark the Jeffco Public School website.
Our first priority is the physical safety of all students and employees. With temperatures dropping, please make sure your student has dressed appropriately and is prepared for outdoor recess and activities on all days. If needed, call your school or counselor for possible clothing assistance. Please review these
winter driving tips from CDOT about winter driving safety.
Remember that you have the ultimate responsibility for the safety and well-being of yourself and your children. Parents can always decide not to send their children to school on a snowy day if they feel it is unsafe.
Thank you,
Jeffco Public Schools