When there is a closing or delay, all who are signed up will receive a call, text, and/or email through our School Messenger system. If you’re not getting calls, please contact your student's building to verify your primary number we have on record.
Notifications are also posted on our District social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X) and local media outlets: WCLT Radio, WNKO Radio, Sunny 95 Radio, the Newark Advocate, NBC4i, ABC6, and 10TV.
OUR PROCESS
Here’s the process we use to decide when to delay or cancel school:
HOW: We monitor road conditions affected by snow and ice, general weather conditions; temperature, wind chill, and the weather forecast. Other factors that can affect our decision are the condition of parking lots, walkways, and the functionality of heating and utilities in our buildings.
WHO: Because Heath is a (geographically) small school district, roughly 11 square miles, the assessment of road and weather conditions is limited to the administrative team and director of transportation. Every delay or cancellation decision involves a great deal of consultation and conversation.
WHEN: Decisions to delay or cancel school are made as soon as possible. We want to provide as much notice as we can because we know it affects your daily routine and schedules. We attempt to make a decision to cancel or delay school before 6:00am, and when a delay is made, a final decision to cancel school by 8:00am. These times align with our bus routes. Of course, in the name of student and staff safety, exceptions to these timelines can occur.
We appreciate your patience and understanding through the winter months when living in Ohio can be challenging and frustrating. I hope this information helps you to better understand our process and plan for changes to your daily routine. Because instructional time is critical to student learning, every attempt to preserve that time is made. However, our first consideration is always the safety of our students and staff when making these decisions.