Severe weather situations may require schools to close for the entire day, to open late, or to close early due to extraordinary conditions. Parents are urged to make arrangements ahead of time for the care of their children in the event of severe weather. Children should always know where to go if a parent will not be home.

The following information was taken from the SISD Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) regarding the severe weather plan. Please note that it is impossible to plan for every contingency. Therefore, parents should use the following as general information.

SISD has personnel designated to monitor the weather at all times. Upon receipt of a weather advisory regarding severe weather affecting our area, SISD personnel and the SISD Police Dispatch Center will monitor the weather situation. SISD leadership and SISD Police Services will also monitor information from the National Weather Service, El Paso City/County Office of Emergency Management, local TV and radio stations to make decisions regarding school operations.

When the ground is saturated with rain or snow SISD personnel will inspect roads and facilities. After the inspection, personnel will report to SISD leadership and SISD Police Services Dispatch Center regarding the observations. In most cases, recommendations will be made by 4:00 am with decisions to suspend classes announced by 5:00 am. Times may vary due to the situation.

If severe weather conditions develop after the students are in school, they may be released early depending on the situation. Otherwise, dismissal will be at the regular time. Parents will be contacted to advise them on student pick-up at school. Students provided bus transportation will be transported close to home as safety permits. If a student cannot be safely dropped off, he/she will be transported back to school. SISD will announce flooded and snowed in locations over the website, SISD social media, or radio and TV stations.

Our goal is to announce delays and closures as soon as possible after decisions are made. We advise parents and students not to call schools for closure information. Your best source of information will be the SISD website, social media, or TV and radio. We will also strive to post information on the SISD website social media whenever possible.

Extracurricular activities, including club meetings and athletic practices and competitions, will not normally be conducted on any day when the school has been dismissed early or canceled due to severe weather.

The school calendar has contingency days built in for out-of-the-ordinary situations. Announcements and notifications on the use of those days will be announced as soon as possible.

The District may consider delaying the start of school by two hours under certain situations.

• Morning Pre-Kindergarten classes will be canceled.
• All employees will report at a regular time when conditions are safe.
• Elementary and middle schools will start instruction at 9:45 a.m.
• High schools will start instruction at 10:15 a.m.
• Cafeterias will open at 8 a.m. (if possible), and breakfast service will begin at 8:45 a.m. Schools will follow the normal lunch schedule, although principals do have the flexibility to change the serving time, if necessary.
• Transportation will be provided according to the two (2) hour delay from regular pick-up times.

The District may suspend classes when severe weather conditions develop and are anticipated to remain throughout the day. In most cases, recommendations will be made by 4 a.m. with decisions to close schools announced by 5 a.m. Please tune into your local radio or television stations or check on SISD's website.

The following essential employees must report when conditions are safe:

• Custodial staff
• Maintenance staff
• Transportation (excluding drivers and monitors)
• Principals or their designees
• District Service Center – Receptionist

Essential employees are required to report for regular duty on all days other than District Shutdown. Personnel will work until their proper ending time unless an announcement comes from the District Service Center.

The cancellation of any or all extracurricular activities will be evaluated on an individual basis in conjunction with other affected school districts.

In severe conditions, SISD may decide to close all schools and district offices.

• Cabinet members and certain essential district personnel (principals and head custodians) are to report to the job site as soon as safely possible. Campus administrators are responsible for making sure their buildings are checked as soon as possible.
• The cancellation of any or all extracurricular activities will be evaluated on an individual basis in conjunction with other affected school districts.

In the event of a weather emergency, SISD leadership will use available data to decide if students should be dismissed early. In some instances, adverse weather conditions may be sufficient cause to hold students and busses at schools until weather conditions permit safe travel for students and staff.

• Campus administrators will contact supervisors for release authorization.
• Updates will be reported in a timely manner on SISD's website, social media, and will be communicated through local media. Parents will also be contacted with information on picking up their students.
• Teachers and paraprofessionals will be dismissed after all students have left the schools.
• School administrators and office personnel may leave after all buses have completed their scheduled routes. (Transportation will notify campuses when routes are completed.)
• All other personnel will be notified when they may leave.