School Closings and Delays

Sometimes, things like bad weather might mean we need to close or delay the start of school. Canal Winchester Schools will try to decide this as fast as we can. Once we know what's going to happen, we'll let families, staff, and students know right away.

Our school district has a system called ParentSquare that can make phone calls, send emails, and text families to let them know if school is canceled, delayed, or if we need to let out early. We also post on our social media channels and our district website at cwschools.org.

Even though we use lots of tech to let everyone know what's happening, sometimes things don't always work perfectly. A phone call might end up in voicemail, a text might be late, or we might not have the right contact information for you. If you're ever unsure about school being canceled or delayed, you can always look on the district's website.

It's really important that your phone numbers are correct in the PowerSchool forms. If you need to change any information, you just have to log into your PowerSchool account, make your changes in the #3 Contact Form, and submit it back to the district.

If we have to start school late, let out early, or cancel school for the day, here's what you can expect:

Two (2) Hour Delay - Everything at school and bus stop times will start 2 hours later. (For example, if your bus usually comes at 8:15 AM, with a 2-hour delay, it'll come at 10:15 AM.) You can find the full schedule for your building here.
Early Dismissal – If we have to let you out early because of bad weather, all after-school activities will be canceled. Only high school activities that start at 6:00 p.m. or later might still happen if the weather is okay and the high school principal and superintendent say it's safe.
Cancellation of the School Day – Whether or not evening school activities happen will be decided by the building principal and superintendent.
Remember, if school is closed or we have to let you out early because of bad weather, there won't be any CW Recreation practices or games.

FAQs

How do we decide whether to cancel school?

It's not just about how much snow we can see out the window. We look at a lot of things, like:

What the transportation staff, administrators, and local police and township personnel are saying. We pay special attention to the most dangerous roads in our district. Sometimes, your street might look clear but other places in the district might not be safe to travel.
The current amount of snow and/or ice on the ground.
If the weather is getting worse or better.
The weather forecast. We don't only rely on what the weatherman says, but we do take it into consideration.
If our buildings have electricity, heat, and water.
If parking lots and sidewalks are safe. We talk to our maintenance and custodial staffs all the time to make sure our school locations are safely cleared.
The temperature and wind chill. We don't have a specific temperature or wind chill number that decides if we close the school because different places can say different temperatures.
What other school districts are doing. We share information with other local schools and see what they're doing.

Who makes the decision?

How will we let families know if school is closed or delayed?

When will we decide?

What if the weather gets worse?

The decision we make at 5:30 a.m. is based on what we know then. If the weather gets worse, we might need to make a late decision.

We always try to do what's best for everyone's safety during bad weather. We know it's tough to make a decision that everyone agrees with. If you or your parents don't think it's safe to go to school, that's okay – you should use your best judgment. And if you're a teenager who can drive, please think twice about driving in bad weather. Consider other options if the weather gets worse.