CALAMITY DAY INFORMATION

WONDERING HOW ACS DECIDES TO CLOSE OR DELAY SCHOOL?

At Alliance City Schools, our top priority is always the safety and security of our students. With the wintry weather on its way, we would like to explain how we decide to close or delay school.

WHEN DO WE CLOSE OR DELAY SCHOOL?

There is no set amount of snow that will guarantee a delay or closing of school. If we are concerned about the safe travel of our young drivers and bus drivers, we are up early in the morning traveling the streets. If we feel it is safe for students and buses to travel on the roads, then school will be in session for the day. If it seems like the roads will be clear or safe to travel on in a couple hours, a two-hour delay will be called. If we feel the roads are entirely unsafe, school will be cancelled for the day.

When it comes to temperature, if with wind chill it feels like -15 degrees Fahrenheit or below, school will be closed to ensure our students are safe. We recognize many of our students walk or wait for the bus in the morning and it is important they stay warm and safe on days when the temperature feels like -15 degrees or below.

HOW ARE PARENTS ALERTED OF A CLOSING OR DELAY?

School closings are announced via a number of platforms. Closings will be announced by way of

  • District social media accounts - Facebook & Twitter

  • An All-Call to all parents/guardians through ParentSquare

  • A text message to all parents/guardians through ParentSquare

  • A post/notifications through ParentSquare

  • On local radio stations - 1310 AM WDPN, 1480 AM WHBC, 92.5 FM, 94.1 FM & 91.1 WRMU, WNIR 100, WJMP 1520

  • On Cleveland TV Channels 3, 5, 8 & 19

  • Canton Repository

Please note: The All-Call system through ParentSquare can be used for a number of other uses. Please listen to the entire message when you receive a call of this type.

WILL ATHLETIC EVENTS TAKE PLACE?

When school is cancelled or delayed due to the weather, it is our policy to contact the other school’s administration and make a collaborative decision about the competition. The decision will be announced to the families on whether the event will take place that day or not. On days when school is closed, coaches are not permitted to hold mandatory practices; however, a voluntary practice can be held for those students able to attend.

WHEN DO STUDENTS HAVE TO MAKE UP DAYS?

Ohio Revised Code no longer limits the number of calamity days a district may use. Instead, there is a minimum number of hours that elementary and secondary students must be in school each year. A district can call as many calamity days as needed without making up the time, as long as a district meets that minimum threshold of hours. If the number of hours missed due to calamity days would result in ACS going below the minimum hours, the district may shift to digital, on-line learning for the day. In those instances, students will be directed to a Google classroom that they will be expected to log on to for the day. Each Google classroom will be run by their own teachers. The Google classroom will include, to the extent possible, live digital interaction between the teacher and students.