School Closing Procedures
Be Prepared!
Unplanned school closings are usually related to winter weather but can occur for many other reasons, such as power failures or flooding. Please take time in advance to determine your individual plan for your children when schools are closed. The following information outlines how Ladue School District makes decisions and communicates regarding school closings.
Alert/Communication Methods
The following communication methods are used when there is a need to alert families and staff of school closings and early dismissals.
- Local Media: KSDK TV (Channel 5); KMOV TV (Channel 4); Fox2 TV (Channel 2); and KMOX Radio (AM 1120)
- The decision will be communicated to staff and parents via ParentSquare (phone call from (314) 983-5500, text, email, and app notification). Please ensure your phone number and email address are correct in Infinite Campus. Contact your building registrar if updates to your information are needed.
- District Website Home Page
- District Answering Machine: (314) 994-7080
- Twitter: @LadueSchools
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ladueschools
School Closings
- Every attempt is made to make school closure decisions the night before or by 5:30 a.m.
- The decision will be communicated to staff and parents via ParentSquare (phone call, text, email, and app notification). There is no practical way to change call delivery times to suit the preferences of individual schools, families, or people. Individuals can make adjustments to their notification preferences in ParentSquare to determine which methods (phone call, text, email, and/or app) to receive notifications and the frequency (instant or digest).
- It is important for the district to have accurate contact information for all families. Please make sure you have chosen the number you would like to have called in the case of school closings as your primary number. You can check or change this information through your student’s school building office.
- It is not possible to remove the contact information from the school closing call list without removing the contact information from the calling system entirely. The district highly recommends against removing an entire family from the calling system. Emergencies of all types can occur and may require the district to get in touch with groups of parents and guardians very quickly.
- The severity of winter weather and road conditions can be very unpredictable, and the district’s primary concern is keeping all students and staff safe. As a result, decisions must be made with all students and staff in mind. While your driveway, street, or neighborhood may be fine, other roads in the district may pose problems for pedestrians, buses, or staff members coming to work.
Events and Activities
Generally speaking, if schools are closed for the entire day or early dismissal, all events, practices, and activities in which students participate (regardless of where they occur) are canceled, and district buildings are closed. The superintendent or coaches may make exceptions in special circumstances.