Inclement Weather
Emergency School Closure
This applies to:
Modification date
This policy is under review
Emergency school closure occurs when unforeseen circumstances such as broken water pipes, flooding, loss of power,severe weather, etc., warrant closure to be initiated during non-school hours. The decision to close the school is made through input from the administrators, our superintendent, and the Commander. An announcement of the closure will be broadcast on TV and/or radio, DNS, and through the base command units.
The DoDEA Notification System (DNS) allows for each school to contact all of their parents and/or staff with one phone message through an automatic dialing system. At the District level it allows a message to be sent to all parents and/or staff in the same method. This allows greater security and sharing of information with parents and staff. There is a Point of Contact (POC) at each location that has the necessary codes to access the system.
There are situations in which school may be canceled during school hours. Once again, this decision is made by the individuals stated above. Once the decision has been made to release students, staff members will alert all classrooms.Students who ride the bus will be released to board the bus at a set time. For those students who walk, ride a bike, or are picked up, they may be released once their parent/guardian has been contacted and agree with that process. If we are unable to reach a student's parent/guardian by the time teachers are released, the teacher will bring them to the office and the office staff will assist in contacting the parent. For these emergencies STUDENTS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO LEAVE SCHOOL GROUNDS WITHOUT THEIR PARENT/GUARDIAN BEING NOTIFIED. As stated before,please ensure all contact numbers are updated at all times with both your child's teacher and the school office.
Related regulations
School Closure
This applies to:
Modification date
This policy is under review
When hurricanes, snow or other severe weather conditions occur, it is sometimes necessary to cancel school, delay the opening of school, or dismiss classes early.
Before the School Day Begins
If it becomes necessary to cancel school due to inclement weather parents will be notified through our AdHOC system as well as local radio or TV stations in the morning for information about school cancellation for the day.
- Check local television and/or radio stations for closure/delay announcements. (Listen for "Camp Lejeune Schools' rather than "Onslow County") Camp Lejeune's Joint Public Affairs Office (JPAO) notifies the following media in the event of closures or delays:
- Check the Camp Lejeune Facebook Page
- Call the Camp Lejeune Information System at 910-451-1717 (Selection 5).
After the School Day Has Begun
Once the school day has begun, every effort will be made to keep school in session for the entire day. Many of our children have two working parents, and we understand the problems that early dismissal might cause. The decision to close school during the day is announced as soon as possible through our AdHOC system. Early dismissals will also be announced at the Base Exchange and Commissary as well as on local radio and TV.
School Closing/Early Dismissal During Normal School Hours
| Step | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Transportation Supervisor will contact PMO to determine current road conditions and usability and notify the Assistant Superintendent if there are concerns that pose a hazard to safe travel by school buses. The Assistant Superintendent will contact the Director, Manpower to obtain official Base information regarding closure, delays, etc |
| 2 | If unsafe conditions exist, the Assistant Superintendent will notify the NC District Superintendent and contact the Director, Manpower or his designee to notify him/her about the closing of school/s. The Director, Manpower will notify the XO and the XO will in turn contact JPAO and place an announcement on the local MCB Cable TV information channel about school closings. In addition, the Base PX and Commissary will be asked to make an announcement in their establishments about schools being closed |
| 3 | The Assistant Superintendent will contact the following personnel: District Office staff, Principals, Food Services Director, Supervisory Logistics Specialist, and Transportation Supervisor. Also, an announcement will be placed on the Base Information Line @ 451-1717, Option 5. |
| 4 | Principals or his/her designee will report facility concerns to the Supervisory Logistics Specialist prior to their departure. Principals will continuously publish procedures to notify parents about the Base Information Line, 451-1717 (Selection 5) and the Schools Information Line 451-0995. |
School Closing/Delayed Opening Prior to Opening of School
| Step | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Transportation Supervisor will contact PMO to determine road conditions and road usability. In addition, the Transportation Supervisor will contact the Weather Station at New River Air Station for road conditions and future storm predictions. The Assistant Superintendent for CLDS will be notified by the Transportation Supervisor as to whether the weather conditions pose a hazard to safe travel by school buses. The Principal or his/her designee will check on the status of their school facility and provide a report to the Supervisory Logistics Specialist. When deemed appropriate, the Supervisory Logistics Specialist will contact Base personnel about facility concerns. |
| 2 | The Assistant Superintendent will contact the Director, Manpower to obtain official information about the Base operations/plans. |
| 3 | If unsafe conditions exist, the Assistant Superintendent for CLDS will notify the NC District Superintendent and will begin notifications to delay or cancel school/s |
| 4 | The Assistant Superintendent will notify the Director, Manpower of the decision to delay opening of school/s or to close school/s. The Director, Manpower or his designee will notify the Base Executive Officer (XO) about the schools' operational plan. The XO will in turn contact the Joint Public Affairs Officer (JPAO) and the Officer-of-the-Day (OD) to notify them of CLDS' delay or closure and request that appropriate media be notified. Every effort will be made to have announcements generated prior to 0600 |
| 5 | The Community Superintendent's Office Emergency Phone Tree will be put in place. An announcement will be placed on the Base Information Line at 910-451-1717, option 5. The Superintendent will make contacts in the absence of the Assistant Superintendent for NC-CLDS. |
