As we enter the winter season, please take a moment to review Westfall Local School District's Inclement Weather Guidelines for school closings and delays.
We understand that the decision to keep schools open or close them in bad weather greatly impacts our families and staff. We also know that our students are better served academically and socially by being in school. Please know that the safety of our students and staff is always our top priority when making any decision.
How is the decision made to cancel or delay school?
The decision to delay or cancel school due to winter weather is based on a number of factors, including temperatures and road conditions, both at the time school starts as well as throughout the school day. Our goal is to announce a closure or delay as soon as we can, so we are constantly monitoring weather forecasts and will make an announcement the night before whenever possible.
When weather conditions are such that we are unable to make a determination the night before, the process resumes around 4:00 AM the next morning when the Superintendent and a team of school district employees assess the conditions by reviewing temperatures and wind chills, as well as driving in assigned areas throughout the district. After evaluating the weather and road safety, the team meets to discuss the conditions, along with reports from our neighboring schools throughout Pickaway County and the Pickaway County Sheriff's Office, if applicable.
The Superintendent reviews all of the information and makes the decision to close or delay school with the intent of informing families before 5:30 AM. If a delay updates to a school closure, the decision to close will be communicated with the intent of informing families before 7:30 AM that morning.
In regards to temperatures, please understand there are many sources reporting on temperatures and wind chills. We continually monitor a number of these sources to best determine the current conditions as well as what the conditions are likely to be throughout the day.
When school is delayed or canceled, we work quickly to inform the community using a variety of communication methods. A phone message is sent out using Westfall’s mass notification system (phone call/text). We immediately notify local radio and television stations and post a message on the district’s website, Twitter feed (@WestfallSchools), and the District's Facebook page. Because other sources of information, such as social media posts, may not be accurate, we recommend you always check the above-referenced District sources to confirm that school has been canceled or delayed.
As a reminder, please take a moment to log into the FinalForms platform to ensure contact information is accurate, as our communication system is based on the contact information in FinalForms.
Log in under "Parent" using your existing account details.
Select your student's name.
Update any necessary information:
Contact information, including telephone numbers (cell, work, home) and email address
Current medical information
Emergency contact information
Click "Submit."
It is also important that parents have a plan in place in the event of a school delay or cancellation.
Finally, please remember that the Westfall Local School District covers 200 square miles of diverse terrain. This means that, at times, inclement weather conditions that appear in one portion of the District may not be as severe in another but may warrant a delay or closing of school for overall safety reasons.
For more information, please visit WLSD Communications.