A Note from Superintendent Ahart About Winter Weather
The first measurable snow of the 2014-15 school year begins to collect on playground equipment at Greenwood Elementary School.
As Winter draws near – and with winter weather already in the air – the following is a note from Superintendent Tom Ahart on the decision-making process at Des Moines Public Schools about “snow days.”
Be sure to read the bottom of this page and see how you can be the first to know about weather-related closings, delays and early dismissals by following DMPS on Facebook or Twitter and/or downloading the new DMPS Mobile App.
Dear DMPS Families:
The official start of winter is several weeks away, but the weather is making up its own mind. I have a sister who teaches in Minnesota. Her district has already missed one day of school due to weather. I am grateful that I’ve not had to make that decision … yet.
My top priority as superintendent is student safety. When it comes to inclement weather, the health, safety and well-being of our students drives my decisions. After serving as superintendent for two winter seasons, I have been made aware that each of my weather-related decisions is equally supported and opposed. I know I cannot please everyone, but I want you to understand what drives my decisions.
When extreme weather is imminent, the DMPS operations staff and I are actively investigating and monitoring the precipitation, temperature, wind chill, and road conditions. Additionally, I stay in contact with the superintendents of our neighboring districts, the National Weather Service and other sources to ensure that I have the most comprehensive information available to inform my decision.
When the information supports it, I may make a decision that differs from that of some of our neighboring districts. There are a number of reasons that this may be the case, so please know that when that happens it is not random. Some of the factors that may be different in DMPS than in other districts include: the number of rural miles that buses need to traverse; the number of students that walk to school; coordination with Des Moines Area Regional Transit which transports a number of our middle and high school students; and coordination of our very large food service operation. The decision to call a late-start or an early-release instead of cancelling school altogether must be made earlier in Des Moines than in most other districts for the reasons mentioned above.
Regardless of what decision is made, we also consider the ripple effect it has on the entire community: not only for our 32,000 students and 5,000 employees but for tens of thousands of parents and family members, many of whom must go to work no matter the weather. Whatever decision is made, and we realize any decision will have those who disagree, it is made based on the best information available and in the best interest of our students and staff. With this in mind, I encourage you to create a plan for your family in the event of a school cancellation, late start or early dismissal. I know these changes to our routine are disruptive and challenging for our families.
Finally, regarding the timing of the decision: my goal is to make a decision prior to the 10:00 PM news the evening before, but that is not always practical. Temperature and precipitation conditions can change rapidly. I always attempt to make a decision as early as possible, but one that is also defensible the next morning. It is much more convenient for you to know what will happen as far in advance as possible and we strive to provide clarity as early as possible.
Thank you for your support of Des Moines Public Schools and your flexibility as we make our way through another Iowa winter. I wish each of you a happy Thanksgiving with family and friends and safe travels.
Sincerely,
Tom Ahart, Superintendent
HOW TO LEARN OF WEATHER-RELATED CHANGES TO THE SCHOOL SCHEDULE:
There are several ways DMPS notifies the community of weather-related cancellations, delays or early dismissals.
First, it’s easy to find out directly from the school district. If you use social media, be sure to follow our Twitter or Facebook pages. You can also download the DMPS Mobile App to receive notifications on your phone. We also post such announcements to the DMPS web site and on DMPS-TV (Mediacom channel 12.1 or 812).
Second, we use our Infinite Campus automated message system. If you have an Infinite Campus account, please make sure your contact information is accurate. If you do not have an Infinite Campus account, your child’s school can help you set one up.
Finally, we notify our local media partners who normally share such announcements on-air or online. Weather-related announcements are provided to the Des Moines Register, KCCI-TV, WHO-TV, WOI-TV, KDSM-TV, KCWI-TV, the Clear Channel radio stations (which includes WHO Radio, KXNO, KISS 107.5, The Bus 100.3 and Alt 106.3), the Des Moines Radio Group (which includes Lazer, KIOA, KRNT and Star 102.5) and Iowa Public Radio.
