SCHOOL CANCELLATION POLICY

Dear Fairhaven School-Community:

Winter weather is upon us. As Superintendent of Schools, I am responsible for the final decision, of whether or not to leave the schools open or to close the schools. I truly understand that this decision has ramifications on each and every one of us. Having four (4) Fairhaven Public School students in my home who now watch the weather channel and communicate with their father now more than ever, I understand. It is my hope that this notification will describe for you my rationale for the closing of school due to winter weather conditions.

This decision is based on a careful analysis of all relevant factors. While our students are better served when our schools remain open the priority regarding this decision is and always will be safety. I watch the forecast like each and every one of you. On questionable days, I both watch the weather channel and log onto weather.com to monitor the hourly forecast of our town. Some of the factors that I considerr are based upon predictions. This is not the sole basis for the final decision due to the fact that these predictions are not always accurate. However, I must rely on this information.

On questionable days I report to my office no later than 4:00a.m. I do travel from Washington Street to Main Street. I then go down Adams Street and circle the Hastings Middle School parking lot. I travel on Route 6 and travel to the Wood School and then back to the Administration Center on Washington Street. While I assess these main roads to our schools, I must also give careful consideration to the most dangerous roads in the district. I may call D.P.W. officials, officials from the Reliable Bus Company and our police department. Remember, even if your street looks clear, travel elsewhere in the district maybe dangerous. In addition, we must consider that some high school students drive to school. 

We follow an Emergency Procedures for School Closing protocol in which essential personnel in the district have clear roles and responsibilities. After 4:00 a.m. I confer with the head of maintenance regarding the clearing of school parking lots. Central administration confers with maintenance and custodial staff who are responsible for clearing and treating school sidewalks and doorways. Communication takes place up to the final decision regarding parking lot and building conditions such as the availability of electricity and heat. I also confer with area superintendents regarding whether they are opening or closing. My last consideration is that of temperature and wind chill. Please remember that some of our students walk to school and some must wait outside for the bus.

I must make my decision by 5:30 a.m. or earlier so we can notify radio and TV stations and post the decision on local cable and on our Web site. If I wait longer to announce a closing, it would make it very difficult for families and school personnel to change their morning routines. Due to the number of telephone calls that must be made to notify staff, transportation officials, and others, people need to know this decision in a timely manner.

The public will be notified via television channels 4, 6, 7, and 12 and radio stations WBSM-1420 AM, WMBH-1340 AM, and WFHN-107 FM and WCTK 98.1 FM for up-to-date information on school closings. You can also check BDTV local cable channel 9 for information. Please do not call the schools unless it is an emergency. 

Please be aware that we may choose to delay the opening of school. The delay may be 60 minutes, 90 minutes, or 120 minutes. The delay would delay each and every component of the school day for the amount of time of the delay. For example, a 60 minute delay would mean arriving at the bus stop 60 minutes later and reporting to school 60 minutes later. 

Once the decision is made to open schools, many parents rely on it and leave for work. If we then send students right back home, many will return to unsupervised bus stops and empty houses. However, on inclement weather days when the forecast for conditions during the school day may worsen, please be aware that an early dismissal is a possibility. If conditions get worse during the day, we would notify each and every media outlet and would not release any elementary school students unless there is absolute confirmation that there will be someone to meet the student at the bus stop or there is someone home to supervise. If school is cancelled during the day for any reason, students who normally walk home would need to be picked up by someone one the emergency dismissal form. Bus students would be released as usual.

Although I will do my absolute best in this process, I know that there is no perfect decision. If you do not feel as though it is safe for your child to attend school, use your best judgement on whether he or she should attend. Also, discourage teenagers from driving in bad conditions and offer them alternatives if weather conditions worsen. Keep in mind that, even if weather conditions worsen, we cannot reverse our decision in the morning without endangering students. It is my hope that this rationale helps everyone understand the process that our district uses to make the best possible decision for our students.

Yours Truly,

Robert N. Baldwin Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools