Preparing for Inclement Weather

It is the School System’s goal to keep our students safe. Parents are advised to keep current information on their child’s emergency card. Thus, when schools are faced with threatening weather, the district’s telephone notification system is programmed to send a message to the number provided. Also, parents are advised to listen to radio and television reports, and they are encouraged to call the transportation information line at 358-2006 for up to date transportation information, or go to www.cmcss.net for school closing information.
Should severe weather strike during the school day, each school is notified through battery-operated radios, electronic mail, and telephone if those methods are not impacted by the existing weather system. In the event of a tornado watch, students are moved out of portable classrooms and into the building and all outdoor activities are cancelled. In the event a tornado threatens or hits a school building schools follow tornado drill procedures where teachers and administrators direct all students to “duck & cover” and remain in the safe area until the “all clear” is given.

Parents are discouraged from checking their children out of school during severe weather. Experts say a vehicle is one of the most dangerous places to be during a tornado. Buses are not loaded when any part of the County is under a tornado warning, and school bus loading may be delayed if there is a danger of threatening weather. School buses run “inclement weather routes” if the wind chill is less than 20 degrees, or the heat index is above 100 degrees, or if it is raining. In the event that schools are closed early because of snow or threatening weather, administrators will follow the parents’ wishes as stated on their children’s emergency cards.

The number to call for information regarding bus substitutions and route status is 358-2006. For information on school zones or bus routes, call the Operations Department at 358-4089 or go to www.cmcss.net, and click on the Student/Parent link. For transportation or school safety concerns, call the Operations Department at 358-4099.

Our procedure for determining whether to close schools can be found at www.cmcss.net/iso/masterdocs/OPS–P002.pdf.

There have been many questions about snow days and how they are made up in Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools. Here is the explanation:

The law allows for 13 days to be stockpiled by students. Students stockpile days by going 30 extra minutes. Teachers do not stockpile days. The district chose years ago, with input from teachers and administrators, to use four of the stockpiled days as staff development which left nine student stockpiled days. A few years ago, again with teacher and administrator input, three early release days were added. This accounts for one more day to be subtracted from the nine which then leaves eight days from the 13.

The Board will forgive three days of the eight. Subsequent days would need to be approved by the Board for makeup or not.

It is prudent to make up the lost days as teachers have stated that they never have enough time with the students. Making the days up gives more time for teacher and student interaction and addresses the teachers’ concern of time with students. Student achievement is impacted by student-teacher interaction.

In years past we have made up days in a variety of ways and usually that was dependent upon how many were lost and the time of year the inclement weather occurred. Other school districts do make up the days, but they may not make up all of them and may not have the days allotted for staff development.