Emergency School Closings, Delayed Openings & Early Releases

When weather or other emergencies occur, YCSD may need to cancel, delay or close schools early. Determining whether to close, delay school opening or send students home early due to emergency situations is one of the most difficult and complex decisions a school division makes.

Student and staff safety is our number one priority when making decisions.

We realize there is no perfect decision for everyone, and we understand changes to school schedules impact our families. Families and staff are encouraged to make advance plans and adjustments for emergency schedule changes. Working together, we can minimize the disruptions caused by emergency closings.

Making the Decision

When severe weather threatens our area, the YCSD leadership team closely monitors National Weather Center and local meteorologist forecasts. Information gathered includes:

amount and type of forecasted precipitation
timing (start and stop) of precipitation
status of severe weather alerts (advisories, watches, warnings)

The YCSD road assessment team conducts a visual inspection to assess the following:

road (highway, primary and residential) and bus stop conditions
school parking lot, sidewalk and bus loop conditions
facility conditions (power, HVAC, etc.)

Staff also consult with our county emergency management staff and neighboring school division.

Announcing Our Decision

We strive to provide as much notice as possible when making changes to school schedules to give our families and staff time to make necessary arrangements.

Closings/Delayed Openings

In most cases, the decision will be made the night before; or in uncertain conditions, not later than 5:30 a.m. on the morning of schedule change.

Early Releases

While we try to avoid unexpected early releases, it is sometimes unavoidable. If school will dismiss early due to weather or another emergency, the division will give families at least two hours’ notice.

As soon as a decision to adjust school operating hours is made, we communicate through multiple channels including:

emails, phone calls, mobile app notices, and text messages
alerts on the division website and social media accounts
local tv and digital media organizations

*To receive phone, text and email notifications, schools must have your up-to-date contact information. Families should contact the appropriate school as soon as contact information changes while staff must notify the Human Resources department and update HRMS on the division's intranet site.