Severe Weather Guidelines

During the winter, we keep an eye on the forecast for severe weather. It’s also a reminder to be sure that your family has a plan and a back-up plan in place for school closing due to inclement weather.

In the event that we need to close school, you will receive a text message and email from our St. Michael system. This is your official notification that school is closed for the day. We will do our best to get this information to you as soon as possible either the evening before or early in the morning. While we also will post our status to the local news media, do not rely on this as your main source of information. DO NOT call the school asking if we are open or closed.

Please know that in the event of severe weather, the decision to close our school is made with much care and consideration. In collaboration with Monsignor Bill, the other administrators of our Livonia Catholic Schools and LPS, the decision is made on a day-to-day and event-to-event basis. We usually follow the lead of LPS. We do this because they have the resources at their disposal to make the best-informed decision.

Not only do many of our families rely on LPS for transportation to and from school, we rely on LPS in the event of an emergency. If we need to evacuate this building at any time, our designated relocation area is Grant Elementary, a LPS school.

What are the factors school districts consider when school is canceled?
First and foremost, the safety and well-being of our students, staff and families are paramount in any decision to close schools. When a “snow day” or “inclement weather day” is called, it is done as early as possible (before 5:30 a.m. and often earlier) after much deliberation among District officials who monitor road and building conditions throughout the night; in consultation with area school superintendents; and with expert advice from a national meteorologist.

 

The weather conditions and issues taken into consideration in closing schools due to inclement weather include:
● The amount of snowfall and its impact on roads (including side roads and dirt roads) and parking lot conditions and the ability to safely transport students to school.
● The timing of a storm and the ability of local road crews and personnel to clear roads and parking lots in time for the safe transport of students to school.
● Dangerous temperatures or wind chills that carry a high risk for frostbite in a short period of time (30 minutes or less). To close school based on cold alone (rather than in conjunction with concerns about road conditions, bus issues or other safety considerations), the actual temperature combined with wind chill considerations would be greater (colder) than -15 to -20 degrees below zero. This figure is based on the range of temperature / wind chill that carries a higher risk of frostbite at the thirty-minute threshold (for exposed skin.)
● Building problems caused by weather conditions such as loss of heat, power or water service.

It is our wish to have school open and students learning. We know it is hard on families to make arrangements for their children on these unexpected days off. However, we must do what is best to keep everyone safe