How Are School-Closing Decisions Made in Wyandotte?

With winter weather in full force, officials at Wyandotte Public Schools must assess each snowfall to determine when closing schools is essential.

In response to an inquiry from Wyandotte Patch, school Superintendent Carla Harting provided a written explanation of how those decisions are made.

District Closing Decision-Making in Wyandotte

School safety is our primary concern when we decide to close schools. We make our decision with the students, parents, and staff members’ safety in mind. We will always try to provide information to parents as soon as possible, so they can make alternate arrangements if needed for child care.

Conditions reviewed before closing are:

• The amount of snowfall; sidewalk, road, and parking lot conditions; and whether parents and staff members can safely arrive at school.
• Ice or freezing rain and how it affects sidewalk, road, and parking lot conditions. We also look at the possibility of downed trees and power lines.
• Dangerously low temperatures or wind chills (sustained at below -20 degrees) that would make walking to school dangerous.
• Building concerns such as loss of heat, power, or water service.

Weather conditions are monitored throughout the previous evening and into the night.  A decision is usually made by 5:00 a.m. The Operations Supervisor consults with his staff to determine if snow/ice removal can be made to have the District’s sidewalks and parking lots clear.  He also consults with the city to see if the roads will be cleared. Because we provide special education services to surrounding districts who bus their students to our center programs, we consult with other superintendents in the area. 

The Operations Supervisor contacts the Superintendent who makes the decision whether to close schools. The information is then sent to a central reporting system for TV and radio stations indicating the district will be closed.

Information regarding the closing is posted on the Wyandotte Public School’s website at www.wyandotte.org  and also on the District’s main phone number (734-759-5000). This year we are piloting a new phone system for notification of families. We will use the phone number you provided on the Emergency Card to notify you of the District School Closing.

If you have any questions, please contact my office at 734-759-6002.

Carla Harting, Superintendent

Wyandotte Public Schools

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