School details inclement weather policy, actions

With the temperatures dipping below freezing and the threat of ice and snow in recent forecasts, school closings or delayed openings may not be far away. Sometimes, school is canceled or schedules are altered on days closures aren't expected. Parents and students should remember to listen to the radio, watch the television or go online for decisions about school closings.
Fairfax County Public Schools makes every effort to decide, before 5 a.m., whether to close or delay schools and begins communicating the decision once it is made. The 5 a.m. decision time is a goal. Weather conditions can deteriorate after 5 a.m., which means it may not be possible for FCPS to meet that goal.
Decisions on schedule changes are made after careful study of the best information available from many sources, including weather services, the highway department, the police, and transportation staff members who are out checking the roads.
All counties have several options for schedule changes to deal with inclement weather. These are put into effect when conditions threaten the safety of children who are walking or riding school buses to schools. The options are:
• Keep schools closed
• Open two hours late
• Close two hours early.
In every case of a schedule change, parents, students and guardians can check www.fcps.edu for Fairfax County or www.pwcs.edu for Prince William County, in addition to radio and televised information.
Hotlines are 800-839-FCPS (3277) for Fairfax County Public Schools and 703-791-2776, selection 3, for Prince William County schools.
Parents, guardians and students are asked to not call the schools or stations for the information. Fairfax County school parents can sign up for Keep in Touch e-mail notification system.
Parents are urged to make arrangements now for the care of their children when schedule changes are made (and to provide for the rare situation when it is necessary to close an individual school because of a power failure or other circumstances). Children should know where to go if a parent will not be home.
More information is available from Laurie Shellenberger, school liaison, Fort Belvoir, 805-9119.