October 16, 2023
Greetings Shepherd Public Schools community. Even though we have had some fairly nice weather this Fall, it is still wise for us to begin “thinking about” what things could and would look like in the event we have inclement weather conditions soon that could impact safe traveling to our schools in the morning. The desire of this communication is to give you information about how we as a district will be communicating when we have school delays or closings.
First of all, thank you to Mr. Steve Sura for all he does to monitor conditions of safety on days we are concerned. He is up very early checking roads and determining if they are safe for students and staff to get to school either on time or at all.
Our practice for notification on these days will be the following:
Roadways are checked usually starting around 4:30 a.m. Conversations with other districts and within our own district usually begin around 5:15 a.m. The hope and plan is that a decision to delay or cancel school can be made on or around 5:30 a.m.
As soon as the decision is made an announcement is composed using the SwiftK12 PowerSchool plugin and sent to all the announcement channels (phone, text, and email).
This community loves and cherishes its students. On days where the weather may be of concern we care for all those being transported to school; whether by bus, parent, or students driving themselves. School safety is paramount to this district because of how much we place value on the wellbeing and safety of our children. Mr. Steve Sura will be the first one to say he may “err on the side of caution” due to the degree of care and concern he has for SPS students and families.
Thank you for your attention to this message about school delays and closings. If you have any other questions please notify our central office at (989) 828-5520.
Respectfully,
Terry J. Starr, Superintendent