Be prepared

Winter weather conditions sometimes prompt the district to alter school routines or schedules. So it's a good idea to decide in advance how best to keep up with the changes, what child-care arrangements are needed, and how to adjust if school is delayed, students are released early, or schools are closed.

FCPS now provides emergency phone call notifications through the "IRIS" system. (Please make sure your phone numbers are correct in Infinite Campus; contact your child's school to update your family's information.)

Announcements will also be posted on Channel 13, the FCPS home page, via Facebook and Twitter, and through the local media.

Decisions and options

Students' safety is a top priority, so on snowy or icy days, a team of district employees drives the streets beginning about 2:30 a.m. to assess road conditions. School leaders – in consultation with meteorologists and the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Streets and Roads Division – consider street safety, outdoor temperatures and the weather forecast in order to make a decision by 5 a.m.

Whenever roads are unsafe for travel, there are three choices:

• Cancel school
• Delay the start of school
• Dismiss school early 

Please remember that road conditions vary throughout the community. Streets on one end of the county might be clear while other areas of town are still treacherous. These decisions are based on what's safe for all students.  

If school is canceled:

Schools will not be open for regular business. Some after-school programs might offer on-site child care services; check with the individual providers for details.

All afternoon and evening activities, including night school, are canceled as well.

The FCPS calendars will be revised to make up lost instructional days, which is required by state law. Note: The online calendars and PDFs are updated only after the superintendent has officially announced the make-up dates. The possible dates for 2011-2012 are April 27, May 4, May 25, May 29-31, June 1 and June 4-8.

If school is delayed:

All schools start either one or two hours later than normal. Buses run their regular routes, and zero-hour classes and technical school schedules remain the same -- just one or two hours later than usual. All Early Start sessions, however, are canceled.

School dismissal times stay the same, and afternoon and evening activities continue as usual.

Decisions about making up the class time missed will be made on a case-by-case basis in accordance with state guidelines.

• List of start times and impact of delays or early dismissals

If schools dismiss early:

The decision will be made as early as possible to allow families time to make arrangements. Elementary students will be supervised until the last child is picked up. 

All afternoon and evening activities, including night school, are canceled.

Students in the morning Early Start session, which normally dismisses at 10:30 a.m., can either be picked up at school by their families or they will be brought home on the bus along with the other students from their elementary schools in accordance with the early dismissal schedule.

Decisions about making up the time missed will be made on a case-by-case basis in accordance with state guidelines.