AnnMarie Hilton|Appleton Post-Crescent
Snow has already started falling this year, andwithFox Valley students back to the classroom full time, districts are making plans for any snow days this winter.
Many districts used virtual learning at one point or another over the past two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but for almost every district in the area— with the exception of the Neenah Joint School District—that won't be the case for inclement weather this year.
"Technology sounds like a good answer," said Menasha Joint School District Superintendent Chris VanderHeyden, but in reality, many families still don't have access to WiFi for students to work from home.
He said he hopes more could be done at a state-level to address this problem, but for now, it isn't the bestsolution for those days with excessive snow orfrigid wind chills.
Menasha, likeother school districts, hasextra days built into itsacademic year to account for up to five snow days. VanderHeyden said years with five or moresnow days are rare, but the calendar does offer that buffer forexceptionally wintry years.
Here's a closer look at how to find out if your child's school will be closed for snow or other hazardous winter weather:
Appleton Area School District
There's no expectation for virtual learning for Appleton students and staff,the district said. However, if the district exceeds its allotted snow days, it would re-evaluate.
School closureswill be decided by 6 a.m. andshared onlocal media, the district's social media pages and its website:aasd.k12.wi.us.
Families can also expect phone calls, emails, text messages or some combination to inform them of closures.Infinite Campus settings can be adjusted, so families can set their preferences for how to be contacted for a school closure.
MORE:Appleton Area School District student staff still have to wear masks, but that'll change in January
Hortonville Area School District
If district administrators and the director of transportation decide on a two-hour delay, early release or school closure, Skylerts are sent to all families in the district.
Local media will also be notified, the district said.
Hortonville students won't do virtual learning for bad weather days.
Kaukauna Area School District
According to the district website, severe weather could cause a delayed start, early release or school closure. It says the district will make every effort to announce such decisions by 6 a.m.
There are multiple ways families could be notified, including a call through the district's emergency call system and announcements on local media. Changes for severe weather will also be posted on the district website (www.kaukauna.k12.wi.us)and individual school websites, along with district social media platforms.
Families also have the option ofdownloading the KASD app on their smartphones. It can be found by searching Kaukauna Area School District in the Googleor Apple app stores.
Kimberly Area School District
Families in the Kimberly district will receive a call, text or email from Infinite Campus in the case of a closure, according to the district website. Communication preferences can be set in Infinite Campus, and parents need to update their information or contact their school's secretary if they get a new phone number or email.
According to the district website, sharing school closures on the district website or Facebook will not be the primary form of communication, so families are asked to watch for the auto-calls/texts/email or check local media for the most timely information.
Little Chute Area School District
If there's an inclement weather day, District Administrator Heidi Schmidt said, the decision will be made as early as possible. Families will be informed through Infinite Campus and social media pages.
Snow days will cancel classes, but Schmidt said the district would re-evaluate this if there's a need to account for lost instructional minutes from an "unusual number" of days.
Menasha Joint School District
A phone call will go out to families the morning of a snow day, VanderHeyden said. On the rare occasion, the call will go out the night before, but he prefers to wait until the morningto be sure.
There will also be a notification on local media, social media and the district website: www.mjsd.k12.wi.us.
VanderHeyden said deciding on a snow day is a collaborative effort. He's talking with staff who maintain school grounds and other superintendents in the area. While they try to be consistent, there can be factors, such as how many rural roads are in the district, that may cause one district to close and another to stay open.
Neenah Joint School District
Even before the pandemic, Neenah schools were turning to virtual learning on supremely snowy days. And that practice will continue this year.
The district doesn't build snow days into its calendar, said Jim Strick, communications manager for the district. He said the district does well with the virtual days when they're needed, and it allows the district to wrap up earlier in the summer, rather than having to stick around longer to make up any snow days.
Similar to the practice with a school closure, Strick said families are notified early in the morning that classes will just be online rather than in-person for that day.
Since this practice has been in place for multiple years, Strick said, the district has ironed out any wrinkles with families who may have trouble accessing internet, in some cases even providing hotspots.
Reach AnnMarie Hilton at ahilton@gannett.com or 920-370-8045. Follow her on Twitter at @hilton_annmarie.
