School Closing Procedures

Response to Inclement Weather

During extreme weather conditions, Northwest ISD continues to prioritize the safety and welfare of our students and staff. District administrative leaders continuously monitor weather conditions and forecasts.

Contingency plans have been prepared well in advance to address any possible adverse conditions that may result from inclement weather. The district's staff works diligently to provide a safe, positive and comfortable learning and working environment by taking the following measures:

To determine school closings, district administrative staff will monitor weather conditions throughout the day or night. If conditions are questionable during the early morning hours, staff will travel roads to inspect the actual conditions. Normally, a decision to cancel school will be made prior to 5 a.m., so school closures can be communicated to the media, staff, parents and students. Sometimes it is difficult to cancel school if adverse conditions do not exist prior to 5 a.m. For this reason, staff will use weather radar data accessed from the Internet to determine if deteriorating weather conditions are on the way.
To keep the temperature in the facilities comfortable for student and staff arrivals, the facilities maintain a normal operating temperature to prevent a drastic fall during the extreme weather. Implementing this measure also protects the plumbing and fire systems within the buildings. For energy savings, temperature set points will adjust to more cost-efficient settings as soon as the extreme weather passes.
To keep exterior entrances safe, custodial staff will monitor and apply materials to clear entrances when necessary.
To keep buses operating and comfortable, mechanics and drivers arrive early to ensure buses start properly and are warm prior to picking up students.
To help ensure continued safety and comfort of our students and staff, the district's maintenance staff is on alert to respond to calls related to the weather.
To ensure that buildings do not have damage after inclement weather, the maintenance staff will do a scheduled walk through the building the following weekend. By monitoring the buildings, the staff is able to rapidly respond to any damage and make immediate repairs to ensure that any possible damage does not have a negative impact on instruction delivery or jeopardize the safety of our students and staff.

Students' safety is our most important concern. The normal procedure in the district is not to close schools early once students are in attendance. District officials will continuously monitor weather conditions. If weather conditions make it necessary for the Northwest ISD to close schools, the district will directly communicate with families using contact information provided during the enrollment process. The district will also communicate with news outlets about closures.

When no announcement is made, schools are operating on their regular schedules, though the district may send an email reminder so families are aware.

For more information, please refer to the frequently asked questions.