Lexington School Community,
As the holiday decorations are going up inside and outside our homes and the sound of holiday music is frequently on our ears, it’s a great reminder to once again share with our school community our procedures for inclement weather and winter calamity days. If we have inclement weather overnight or early in the morning, our Transportation Director, Johneen Gordon, Assistant Superintendent, Kevin Young, Athletics/Activities Director, Jeff Eichorn, High School Principal, Jamie Masi and I will drive various roads within our district to assess road conditions. Frequently, the roads that are most problematic are back or side roads, and areas that are not plowed or treated early in the morning.
Our first decision regarding cancellation or delay needs to be made by 6:00 am. The team and I will be in communication regarding the road conditions from 5:15 am until the decision is made. We want to make the decision to delay or cancel as early as is possible (between 5:30-5:45 is our goal because our first buses head out by 6:15 am). If we decide on a two-hour delay, we will need to determine if we will continue with the delay or to cancel by 8:00 am. The team and I will be driving our areas of the district again, prior to discussing the conditions at 7:15 am, until we decide what we need to do (between 7:30-7:45 is our goal at this point).
While school decisions are often made based on the road conditions in our district, severe wind chill temperatures will also be a factor in deciding to delay or cancel school. Wind chill temperatures hovering in the -20 range are cause for safety concerns. The safety of everyone coming to our buildings is the priority. This includes students riding our buses, students and staff driving to school, parents bringing children to school, and students who walk to school.
Please remember that the quickest way for parents and staff to receive information regarding a delay or cancellation is to register for our Text and Email Alert system, which can be found on the District website under the Parents & Students tab, or to register for the WMFD Alert system by following the links on the WMFD website. We will also use our alert system to communicate other important information and reminders throughout the school year.
Thank you for your continued support of Lexington Local Schools.
Jeremy Secrist
Superintendent
