• INCLEMENT WEATHER PROCEDURES

    CLOSING OR DELAYING SCHOOL

    In the event of inclement weather, the decision to open or close schools will be made no later than 6:00 a.m. on the day in question and communicated as soon as possible to parents/guardians and staff in several ways.

    The district will call local radio and television stations by 6:15 a.m. to inform them whether or not schools are to be open or closed. The stations will then broadcast this information to the public.

    Automated phone calls stating whether schools are to be open or closed will be made as soon as possible to parents and staff for whom the district has current phone numbers.

    The information will be posted on the district’s website.

    District Facebook and Twitter accounts will reflect delays and closures in a timely manner.

    What are the factors in determining the closing of school or a delayed start due to inclement weather? 
    The #1 variable is “safety”. This is determined if buses can run and our parents and young drivers can make it to school safely when exercising reasonable caution. If one part of our district is icy and cannot be traveled safely, we make the call to delay or cancel even though another part of the district may not have the same dangerous road conditions. Regarding a “delayed” start, we still must start the bus routes approximately two hours before the delayed start time. Once schools are open for the day, classes are held for the entire school day so as to not inconvenience working parents or disrupt the learning environment.

    Does it matter what the schools around Corsicana are doing? 
    No. As we all know, Texas weather can be patchy and affect many areas differently. We make this decision based on what is happening in CISD.

    Who makes the decision? 
    The procedure for making the decision to close schools begins early in the morning when school personnel in each area of the city drive the streets to check road conditions. Personnel confer with the weather bureau, police department, and gas and utility companies about forecasts, road conditions, and available energy for heating the buildings. The findings are reported to the superintendent of schools, who makes the final decision to open or close schools.

    What is the procedure if a decision is made during the school day? 
    In the event that inclement weather occurs during a school day, Corsicana ISD will communicate with parents in the following ways:

    • School Messenger Phone Calls
    • Parent Emails
    • Facebook and Twitter
    • District and Campus Websites
    • Local News and Radio Stations

     

    How is the community notified? 
    Notices will be posted on the district and campus websites. In addition, we use School Messenger to call all staff and students. This is why it is VERY important that the ISD has your most current contact information (home phone, cell). If you have changed any of these and have not contacted your school, you may not receive ISD notifications. We also notify all of the major television stations in the metroplex.

    TORNADO WARNING DURING SCHOOL HOURS

     

    At the urging of local emergency officials, Corsicana ISD has implemented the following tornado warning protocol:
    During a tornado warning, students will remain in school, along with staff in pre-designated shelter areas. The main office will be closed until the warning has been cancelled. Students will not be released, and staff will be in duck and cover protocol with students for the safety of all students and staff. Local fire officials have indicated that staff should “NOT” be in office areas and buildings should not be open to the public during TORNADO WARNINGS.

    In the event of a TORNADO WARNING prior to the start of school, school will be canceled or delayed as appropriate. Parents are requested not to come to school for their children during tornado or severe thunderstorm watches or warnings, as this may lead to confusion. If inclement weather arises while buses are en route to or from school, District Safety Procedure calls for buses to divert to the nearest campus for shelter. For more information on the inclement weather protocol, you may pick up a copy of the protocol from your child’s school.

    Thank you for your support of our efforts to keep our children safe.