School District Outlines School Closing Procedures

The Natrona County School District has announced its procedures for dealing with bad weather and how it may affect school closures and student transportation, according to a news release.

Schools will be closed for inclement weather or natural disasters only when the community itself is unable to operate safely.

When weather or natural disasters are severe enough to affect school operations, the district's superintendent will tell the public through text messages, phone calls and emails by 5 a.m. or another time he or she designates. The district also will notify the the news media and post updates on its social media sites.

Parents and guardians hold the primary responsibility in protecting a child's health and school attendance, according to the news release.

The district has four options for closing schools, and the superintendent makes those decisions:

• Full closure -- No schools, departments and programs will open for the full school day. The district makes this decision when current and forecast weather conditions are extremely hazardous and are not expected to improve during the day. No buses will operate. No students will report to school. All after-school activities will be canceled. Only designated district employees will report to work.
• Late start -- All schools will open at a designated time. The district makes this decision when weather conditions are forecast to improve greatly after the usual school start times. Bus route times will be altered. District employees will report to work at their normal times or when conditions permit, but before the designated start times.
• Early dismissal -- All schools will release students early at a designated time. The district makes this decision when bad weather or other conditions are expected to deteriorate before the usual end-of-school times. Bus route times will be altered. All after-school activities will be canceled. Employees will be allowed to leave as directed by their administrator.
• Options for full closure, late state or early dismissal -- Many of the district's schools are not located in the Casper area. Hazardous conditions may exist at some schools and not others. The superintendent may apply one of the above options for a particular school, while other schools will continue their normal operations.