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Schools and Transportation Department Prepare for Winter Weather
Reno, NV (Nov. 16, 2011) - The mild weather in Northern Nevada this fall makes the wintery headaches of last year seem far away but snow, wind and ice will be back sooner than later and preparedness is essential for the safety of students throughout the region. While most families are fast asleep and warm in their beds at 3 a.m. during or after a snowfall, many Washoe County School District staff members are in the middle of assessing whether school should be delayed, closed or continue as normal depending on the current or expected levels of snowfall and road conditions.
Reviewing snow day procedures is an ongoing process for District administrators and staff to ensure parents and students receive accurate information about an alternate start to the school day or a cancellation. If school remains open, the Transportation Department then takes proactive measures to make sure students safely arrive at their campuses.
"Ensuring the safety of students and staff is our top priority," said Chief Logistics and Operations Officer Rick Harris. "All decisions we make regarding snow days are developed through a collaborative process with our local agencies and this process has been refined every year."
Monitoring local levels of snowfall and the impact on the school day begins the evening before the school day as District teams begin watching the local forecasts about the next day's conditions. Starting at 3 a.m., Transportation Director Rick Martin, his team members and Harris begin assessing roadways and school sites. They then make a recommendation to Superintendent Heath Morrison to decide whether to operate on a regular schedule or a two-hour delay or cancel school.
Data is collected on actual road conditions as well as current and future weather information. An assessment of the safety of the bus transportation system as well as staff and students driving to school are critical components of the recommendation. This information is reviewed and analyzed between 3 and 5 a.m.
Starting at 3:30 a.m., bus crews and mechanics are preparing the buses at all three District bus yards. Staff maintains consistent communication with bus drivers through the District's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at its central services building. Staff in the EOC alerts schools if a bus will arrive to a campus late or experiences problems due to weather conditions, traffic situations or equipment failures.
If necessary, staff will also contact parents if winter bus stops must be used as an alternate to their child's regular stop or if any bus is 15 minutes behind schedule. Families are encouraged to make sure students are appropriately dressed if they must wait at a stop.
"Winter weather in Northern Nevada can provide for some cold mornings and afternoons," Martin said. "Please make sure that students are dressed appropriately for these winter conditions. While the WCSD has a fantastic transportation fleet, there may be times when there are bus delays, both on the pick-up and drop-off."
Public announcements about delays or closures usually begin shortly after 5 a.m. and no later than 5:30 a.m. via the District's website, Connect-Ed phone messages to families and social media outlets including Facebook and Twitter pages.
"If there are significant delays, the District will call parents using Connect-Ed, letting you know what the situation is," Martin said. "As always, it will always help the students to have a plan, be properly clothed and to stay informed."
The local media also will be contacted to announce the decision made by the District during a severe weather situation.
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About Washoe County School District: The Washoe County School District includes the Reno/Sparks metropolitan area, Incline Village, Gerlach, Empire and Wadsworth, Nevada. The District provides each of its 63,000 students with a superior education in a safe and challenging environment and is committed to graduate every child career and college ready.
For more information visit www.washoecountyschools.org. Follow us on Twitter at WCSDTweet.
Washoe County School District
425 East Ninth Street
Reno, NV 89520
