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Winter Weather Protocols

School sometimes needs to be canceled or delayed due to bad weather and driving conditions. For the first two inclement weather days each year, school is canceled. For inclement weather days 3 through 7 in any one school year, students and staff will participate in an E-Learning Day from home (see below). Students and staff should bring their learning devices home from school each day to be prepared for this possibility.

E-Learning Days

Minnesota law allows school districts to have up to five E-Learning Days per school year to allow students to continue their learning from home when weather conditions make it unsafe to attend school in person. In District 196, E-Learning Days are held IF there are more than two school cancelations in one school year; the third through seventh inclement weather days, if needed, would be E-Learning Days. Any students not scheduled to have school that day do not participate in the E-Learning Day.

Information About School Schedule Changes

If the decision is made to change the school schedule, information is shared first as a popup at District196.org and school websites, and also on district Twitter (@ISD196Schools) and Facebook (@District196); through a phone call, text message and email to parents, guardians and staff; as a recorded message on the district information line at 651-423-7700, and on local television stations (look for “Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools”). If the decision is to hold school as scheduled, there is no communication from the district.

Cold-Weather Schedule Changes

Decisions to change the school schedule due to severe cold are made by 6:30 p.m. the night before. District 196 will cancel school for cold weather IF the National Weather Service forecast for 6 a.m. the following morning calls for:
•    Air temperature of -25 degrees Fahrenheit or colder, OR
•    Wind chill of -35 degrees Fahrenheit or colder.

Frostbite can occur in less than 10 minutes in these dangerously cold temperatures. If school is canceled for cold weather, the SAC program is offered at predetermined locations, ONLY for families that are already enrolled in SAC at the time.

Decisions Based on Safety and Several Factors

District leaders understand these decisions impact many families who need to make alternate arrangements when school is not in session. The overriding concern in making these decisions is the safety of students, staff and others in the community. Factors considered include road conditions, visibility, snow depth, wind chill, the forecast for the remainder of the day and the actions of other districts in our area. Generally, if roads are passable and it’s believed buses will be able to complete their routes with only slight delays, school will be held. 

The superintendent makes these decisions based on what is best for all children in the district. If parents are ever concerned about sending their child to school because of weather conditions, it is always the parents’ choice to keep their child at home.

Receive Notice of Weather-Related School Schedule Changes

Anytime there is a change to the schedule for all district schools due to the weather or other emergency, the district sends a message to all parents/guardians of currently enrolled students. If you do not have a currently enrolled student in District 196 but would benefit from receiving these messages, you can sign-up for email notifications here. If you would like to receive notifications by text or phone call, you will need to add your cell phone number after signing up for the emails via the SchoolMessenger service that District 196 uses. 

If you have a currently enrolled student in the district, you do not need to sign up here.

Snow on a school bus