Emergency School Closure

EMERGENCY CLOSURE

The Kuna School District strives to hold school whenever possible and only call an emergency closure when the situation warrants such action. District policy and procedures conform to Idaho Code 33-512 regarding governance of schools when adverse weather, facility failures or other conditions interfere with normal operations of the District. An emergency school closure can occur for the following reasons:
 * 1) Inclement weather
 * 2) Facility failure problems (i.e., no power, heating problems etc)
 * 3) Health Concerns (i.e., pandemic flu, etc.)
 * 4) Crisis situations

Notification of School Closure
The Kuna School District will use the following methods to notify parents about emergency conditions that warrant a change to any school schedule:
 * 1) The most current and accurate information will be posted to the District website: www.kunaschools.org
 * 2) When appropriate local television and radio stations will also be notified

Whenever possible emergency closure decisions will be made prior to 6:00 a.m., allowing ample time for patrons to visit the District website, watch local news, and be notified (in the future) via District emergency communication systems. The decision to close school is not taken lightly. There are a variety of variables that are considered when making the decision to cancel school, but the first concern is always student safety.

Notification Schedule

 * Superintendent or designee will contact individual school administrator
 * A notification will be posted on the Kuna School District website
 * The following news outlets/stations will be notified:
 * KTVB Channel 7, KBOI Channel 2 etc
 * When appropriate (for health crisis) a letter will be sent home to parents

Inclement Weather
Predicting weather and road conditions is a challenge, particularly in a district that spans two counties and experiences different conditions from one end of the school district to the other. Regardless of the challenges, the safety of each of our students is the Kuna School District’s priority. The District follows these guidelines for deciding to close school due to inclement weather;

General Guidelines

 * Snowfall at a rate of 1 inch or more per hour where there is accumulation on the roadways and in parking lots. A closure recommendation will be given if the snow is not forecasted to decrease by 9:00 a.m.
 * Reports of extremely dangerous driving conditions, such as severe ice, by drivers, security officers, police officers and road crews will result in a closure recommendation if the situation is not expected to improve by 7:00 a.m.
 * School will be closed if the air temperature is -20° F or if the air temperature and wind-chill are -20° F.
 * Difficulty in removing snow from parking lots and walkways, or reports of conditions believed to be extraordinarily hazardous will result in a recommendation to close.

Early Morning Timeline

 * 3:00 a.m. District maintenance employees begin removing snow from facilities
 * 3:30 a.m. District and transportation officials observe weather
 * 4:00 a.m. District and transportation officials drive selected bus routes to evaluate road conditions
 * 4:30 a.m. District officials collect and monitor information concerning city and county roads as it becomes available
 * 5:15 a.m. Recommendation is made to Superintendent/designee based on available data
 * 5:30 a.m. District administration makes the decision to open or cancel school
 * 6:00 a.m. Posted on District website and news outlets notified

Deteriorating Conditions During the School Day

 * If weather deteriorates after school has begun there will be NO closure of school.
 * In the event weather conditions deteriorate rapidly during morning transportation hours or during school, buses will continue their routes unless ordered to park by transportation or public safety officials. The reason for this is that students may be safely sheltered at school.
 * Elementary and middle school students will be sheltered at school until they can be taken home by parents or by school bus. Parents may be notified to pick up their children early.
 * High school students will be released to drive home if the school receives parent permission.
 * Bus routes for the afternoon may be cancelled if all students have been picked up by parents or upon order of public safety officials or the Superintendent/designee. If students remain at school and buses cannot run, they will be sheltered until transported by parents, law enforcement, or security officials.
 * Between 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. a blizzard warning will result in an after school activity cancellation. Afternoon kindergarten classes will be cancelled (where applicable).
 * Between 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. a winter storm warning, with snow forecast of 5 inches or more along with a forecast of blowing and drifting snow will result in an after school activity cancellation. Afternoon kindergarten classes will be cancelled (where applicable). Field trips may be cancelled.
 * By 1:30 p.m. the decision to cancel activity buses will be made. When activity buses are canceled because of severe weather conditions, ALL activities are canceled, including meetings, conferences, sporting events, practices/rehearsals, performances, etc.
 * Other activities, such as marching band practice, will also be cancelled.

Recess Guidelines
The decision to cancel outside recess will be made 10 minutes before students are released based on the digital outdoor thermometers at each school.


 * 22 degrees F and above: students and recess monitors will go out.
 * 18-22 degrees F:
 * Shortened recess and teachers may choose to keep students in but recess monitors will go out OR
 * A room will be open for students who want to stay in with one recess monitor. Other students may go outside and will be supervised by the other monitor on duty.
 * 18 degrees F and below:
 * Before school starts students will be sent to the gyms. Recess monitors will supervise students until they are sent directly to class at 8:00 a.m. Monitors will help to direct students to their classrooms.
 * Students and recess monitors will stay inside during recess. Movies will be shown during lunch with monitors in the movie rooms.

Facility Failure
The District follows these guidelines for deciding to close school due to a facility issue;
 * Facility issue is discovered
 * Issue is analyzed by appropriate staff
 * Decision is made by Superintendent/designee
 * If a decision cannot be made immediately due to the type of facility issue action will be taken as quickly as possible prior to buses picking up students

Health Concerns
The District follows these guidelines for deciding to close school due to a health concern;


 * District officials contact Health Department and other authorities prior to making decision
 * School closure identified 12 hours or more before the close

Crisis Situations
The District follows these guidelines for deciding to close school due to a crisis situation;


 * Crisis situation occurs before, during or after school
 * Issue is individually analyzed by District officials and other appropriate authorities
 * Students transported to another facility (where applicable)

Impact to Employees
Employees will not report to work on closure days unless otherwise directed by school officials. Exceptions include:


 * Principal or designee for each building
 * Designee for the District office (to answer phone calls)
 * Maintenance employees handling snow removal

Employees that do work during emergency closures will be paid. Employees working on closure days will receive a $100 stipend. Employees may also choose to work a half day for compensation.

FAQ
Q: Who makes the decision to close schools?

A: District officials make the decision to close schools. District officials work closely with representatives from local law enforcement and other school districts to assess road conditions and decide if school should be closed.

Q: Does the District lose funding on “snow days?”

A: No. Idaho law allows for emergency closures without financial penalty. State law allows districts to reduce the required instruction hours for a school year by up to 11 hours (approximately 2 days). Any additional hours/or days that may be necessary must be “made up” by adding days to the end of the school year. Idaho Code requires attendance at school for a minimum number of hours. Excessive closures can result in school days having to be made up by extending the school day or extending the school year.

Q: Why is the decision to open/close schools made so early?

A: The District must make the decision by 5:30 a.m. for several reasons. If school is going to close, 5:30 a.m. allows district officials to notify parents, staff, and the community. If school is going to open, the 5:30 a.m. time allows buses to meet their schedules and prevents students arriving late for school.