Brewster School District: School Closure, Delays
Dear Brewster Students, Parents, and Community Members,
I want to remind you about the procedures we have in place regarding “School Closures, Delays.”
Depending on the conditions, possible changes to the regular school schedule might include:
BSD schools closed for the day.
BSD schools operating on a two-hour delayed start schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: What would cause a school closure?
A: The BSD will close its schools when it is determined that the conditions (weather, fire, smoke, flooding, prolonged power outage, etc.) are unsafe for normal school operations.
Q: When schools are closed for the day, what does that mean for before and after-school activities?
A: When schools are closed for the day, all before and after-school activities, athletic practices and events are cancelled.
Q: How often does the Brewster School District close its schools due to adverse weather conditions, power outages, or otherwise?
A: Rarely: Recognizing the closure of our schools creates a significant disruption in the lives of the families and community we serve, the BSD takes the decision to close its schools seriously.
Q: If school is closed, will students be required to make up the day?
A: Yes. If school is closed for the day, the missed school day will be added to the end of the school calendar.
Q: What would cause a two-hour delayed start?
A: Typically weather-related, the BSD will initiate a two-hour delayed start to the school day when the conditions require additional time to ensure the safe operations of the school district, allowing bus drivers, parents, and our student-drivers the additional time necessary to safely travel to school.
Q: How are programs impacted when operating on a two-hour delayed start?
A: When operating on a two-hour delayed start, bus drivers will begin picking up students two hours later than the normal scheduled time. This means if your student regularly catches their bus at 7:30 am, they will catch the bus at 9:30 am.
Q: How does a two-hour delayed start to the school day impact the rest of the school day and after-school programs?
A: School will let out at the regular dismissal time and the afternoon routes will operate on their normal schedule.
Q: How does a two-hour delayed start to the school day impact an Early Release school day and after-school programs?
A: Schools will let out at their regular scheduled early release time.
Q: What if conditions change or an event takes place during the school day? Will you close schools early?
A: Except for extreme weather conditions or an event (e.g. fire, prolonged power outage) making it unsafe to remain in the school building(s), we make every effort to avoid closing our schools early. If it is determined that we need to close school early, we would use the lines of communication listed below to notify families of these changes.
Q: How does the BSD make decisions about changes to the regular school day?
A: It’s not a perfect science given the many variables, but it begins and ends with one constant – the safety of our students, staff, parents, and community members. Working in consultation with the WA DOH, the BSD assesses and evaluates each event using multiple sources of information (weather forecasts, current and predicted road conditions, possible power outages, air quality measures, etc.) in support of its effort to make an informed decision.
Q: What if the BSD is operating on-time or on a delayed schedule, but I believe the conditions where I live make it unsafe for me or my student(s) to attend school. What should I do?
A: If a parent believes the conditions in their area are unsafe for travel to and from school, they should notify their student’s school that their student will not be attending school and that they are excusing their absence.
Q: How will the BSD communicate these potential changes to the school schedule?
A: Changes to the regular school schedule will be communicated using several sources of information. These include:
Parent Square
School Website www.brewsterbears.org
Radio – Tune into the following radio stations to hear changes to our school schedule – KOZI “Community Radio” (103.1 FM).
Social media – We will post updates about school closures, and possible delays on the BSD Facebook page.
Q: When can I expect the district to notify me of the changes?
A: The BSD will make every attempt to notify students, parents, and community members of changes to the regular school schedule no later than 6:00 am.
Please remind your child to wear warm clothes and snow pants if they have them.
Stay safe and be cautious during winter travel.