6114(R) School Closings, Regulation

NORTHFIELD BOARD OF EDUCATION FILE CODE: 6114 Northfield, New Jersey

Regulation

SCHOOL CLOSINGS

The following procedures will govern the unscheduled closing of school for the entire school day, the delayed opening of school, and the early closing of school. No single set of rules can anticipate the problems that may be encountered when schools must be closed, and Building Principals may be required to exercise independent judgment in individual circumstances. Any consequent deviation from these rules should be reported promptly to the Superintendent of Schools.

A. Notification Provisions

1. Notice to television and radio stations shall be by telephone call, with appropriate code, to the following stations:

a. Television and/or Radio Station

(1) WOND/WMGM

(2) WFPG

(3) Channel 4 (NBC 40)

(4) Channel 6

(5) Channel 10

(6) School Website at www.ncs-nj.org Parents/guardians will also be notified through the district’s Global Connect Program.

2. Parents/guardians will be notified at the beginning of each school year that they will be notified of an emergency school closing day by means of announcements over the radio stations listed above. The notice will include the call numbers of each station, its location on the AM or FM band, and the time(s) at which the announcement will be carried. Parents/guardians will be cautioned not to attempt to telephone the radio station.

3. The Principal of each school building shall prepare an emergency call chain for the prompt notification of all teaching staff members and support staff members who regularly report to that school.

• • 1. The staff call chain will be reviewed and updated annually. Each staff member is responsible for supplying the telephone number at which he/she can be reached for notification of the closing or delayed opening of school.
    2. A copy of the complete staff call chain will be maintained by the Principal and will be kept as a confidential document.
    3. Portions of the staff call chain will be released to staff members as necessary for the integrity and efficient operation of the call chain process.

File Code: 6114 SCHOOL CLOSINGS (regulation continued)

1. The Superintendent of Schools will prepare and administer a staff call chain for central office employees.
2. Each staff call chain should be so organized as to ensure that the first called are those staff members who live farthest from the school, office, or facility to which they regularly report.

B. All Day Closing

1. The decision to close schools for the day will be made in accordance with Policy No. 6114. As soon as the decision is made, the Superintendent of Schools or designee will promptly notify:

1. Television and radio stations (see A1),
2. All Building Principals,
3. The School Business Administrator/Board Secretary, and
4. Northfield Police Department.
5. Each Building Principal and other person responsible for a call chain will promptly institute the process of notifying staff members of the closing by means of the staff call chain. Every effort should be made to notify staff members as soon as practicable.
6. In the event a staff member cannot be reached by telephone, the caller will report that fact to the Building Principal or other person responsible for the call chain.
7. Unless the Superintendent of Schools determines otherwise, school office personnel and custodial personnel are expected to report for work on an emergency closed day. It is the intention of this rule that all school offices be uniformly closed or open on a day when the schools are closed for emergency.

C. Delayed Opening

1. When circumstances are such as to require the late opening of school, the school day will ordinarily be delayed by two hours. All beginning schedules will be in effect, modified only by the two hour delay.
2. The decision to delay the opening of school will be made as soon as practicable. Notice of the delayed opening will be given in accordance with B.
3. Unless the Superintendent of Schools determines otherwise, school office personnel and custodial personnel are expected to report to work on time.
4. If weather conditions deteriorate after a delayed opening has been announced, the Superintendent of Schools may decide to close schools for the day. This decision will be made as soon as practicable. Notice of the closing of schools for the day will be given in accordance with B.
5. The Principal of each school will modify the school’s schedule to accommodate the shorter day. Morning schedules may be canceled. After-school and athletic events may be canceled.
6. Lunch will be served as usual, but may be delayed.

File Code: 6114

SCHOOL CLOSINGS (regulation continued)

D. Early Dismissal

1. A decision to close school early will be promptly relayed to:

1. Building Principals in the affected schools,
2. The School Business Administrator/Board Secretary, and
3. Northfield Police Department.

2. Building Principals in the affected schools will promptly notify all staff members of the early closing, using appropriate building procedures.

3. Parents/guardians will be notified by Global Connect.

4. A parents/guardians may come to the school and sign out his/her child at any time after the decision to close early has been made. Any removal of a child must be in strict accordance with Policy No. 5113 regarding the person(s) to whom a child may be released.

5. The Principal will designate a safe and secure location in the school building to which may be assigned students whose parent or temporary caretaker could not be reached by telephone or other means.

• • 1. A teaching staff member will be assigned to supervise the students who remain in the school.
    2. Students who have remained in the school will be released at the time school regularly closes, by whatever means of transportation they would have taken were the school not closed early.
    3. The Principal may arrange for a late bus or transportation by private vehicles for students retained at the school.

Adopted: October 20, 2008