Storm Schedule
DELAYED START- one and one-half hours later with a start time of 10:00 am.
Weather Hotline 303-387-7669 or Watch Channels 4, 7,9 or check the District website www.dcsdk12.org
Delayed Start:
The district also has procedures regarding delayed start times due to snow accumulation in the mornings. On rare occasions, we have had early dismissals if a blizzard is expected.
The district checks roads at 4 am in the morning. They decide if it will be a late start before school starts by Feeder Region (usually based on bus access on side streets and safety of students walking). We are in the Rock Canyon Feeder and therefore, Castle Pines and our attendance area count as one region. Keep in mind Castle Pines can have more snow then Highlands Ranch or the other way around.
School closure due to snow is usually called in the early morning as well.
You can check the District web site for school closures or the District hotline 303-387-SNOW (7669). We may not have this closure posted on our website depending on the time of day it is called.
Lightening at Dismissal:
Distance and Danger
A lightning delay will be called when lightning is within a six mile radius and students cannot be released safely from school. Students will be released and the delay will be lifted when there is no longer lightning in the area for at least 15 minutes.
Pick Up & Drop Off Rules
While we cannot release students during a lightning delay, parents/guardians or other adults over the age of 18, who have been given permission in Infinite Campus, may pick up their children/younger siblings during a lightning delay at their own risk. For safety, parents are also welcome to come into the building and seek shelter until the storm passes. Siblings under the age of 18 coming to pick up a younger sibling will be asked to stay in the building and will NOT be released until the weather has passed.
Departure From School
Once conditions at the site are considered safe, walkers and bus riders will be released. We cannot guarantee the lightning in relation to all students' final destinations and parents are encouraged to call and/or come pick students up if they do not want them released.
Communication Plan
We will try to make a decision about a delay as soon as possible; however, as you are aware the weather changes very quickly in Colorado and at times we may need to make a last minute call to keep our students safe. In the event of a weather delay, we will send an IC message by text, phone and email. Once the message is received, parents are welcome to come into the building and begin to sign students out. When the storm has passed and students are released, we will send another message to let you know.
Pick Up & Drop Off Rules
Parents/Guardians or other adults over the age of 18, who have been given permission in Infinite Campus, may pick up their children/younger siblings during a lightning delay at their own risk. Siblings under the age of 18 coming to pick up a younger sibling will be asked to stay in the building and will NOT be released. (At times, high school students are able to leave the premises under their own accord, but they will not be allowed to remove younger siblings from a building in the event of lightning delay.)
After Departure from School
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Via Bus School District Transportation will be responsible for making a decision regarding students' safely departing the bus in accordance with surrounding weather. A district employee will make said decision at the location in question and cannot be required to predict weather at the final destination of the student.
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Via walking...school will monitor lightning in accordance to the proximity from their building, but cannot guarantee the lightning in relation to all students' final destinations. Once conditions at the site are considered to be safe, students will be released. Parents are encouraged to communicate with the school in advance of students departing from the school if they need alternate arrangements.