What to expect when the weather gets bad

Predicting weather and road conditions is a challenge, particularly in a district that spans two counties and experiences different conditions from one end of the school district to the other. Regardless of the challenges, the safety of each of our students is the Kuna School District's priority. The District follows these guidelines for deciding to close school due to inclement weather;

District Procedures

The Kuna School District strives to hold school whenever possible and only call an emergency closure when the situation warrants such action. District policy and procedures conform to Idaho Code 33-512 regarding governance of schools when adverse weather, facility failures or other conditions interfere with normal operations of the District.

The Kuna School District will use the following methods to notify parents about an inclement weather closure by 5:30 a.m.:

1. Text Message 
2. Social Media
3. The most current and accurate information will be posted to the District website: www.kunaschools.org
4.  Local television and radio stations will be notified

Notification Schedule

• Superintendent or designee will contact individual school administrators and Communication Director 
• The district will post notifications on the Kuna School District website and social media, and Text Message forums by 5:30 a.m.
• The following news outlets/stations will be notified:  KTVB Channel 7, KBOI Channel 2 etc.

General Guidelines

• Snowfall at a rate of 1 inch or more per hour where there is accumulation on the roadways and in parking lots. A closure recommendation will be given if the snow is not forecasted to decrease by 9 a.m.
• Reports of extremely dangerous driving conditions, such as severe ice, by drivers, security officers, police officers and road crews will result in a closure recommendation if the situation is not expected to improve by 7 a.m.
• School will be closed if the air temperature is -20° F or if the air temperature and wind-chill are -20° F.
• Difficulty in removing snow from parking lots and walkways, or reports of conditions believed to be extraordinarily hazardous will result in a recommendation to close.

Early Morning Timeline

• 3:30 a.m. District staff observe weather
• 4:00 a.m. District staff drive selected roads to evaluate their conditions
• 4:30 a.m. District staff collect and monitor information concerning city and county roads as it becomes available
• 5:00 a.m. Recommendation is made to Superintendent/designee based on available data and decision made to open or cancel school 
• No later than 5:30 a.m., the district will notify parents and students through text and email and post on social media and website and notify local media   

Deteriorating Conditions During the School Day

• If weather deteriorates after school has begun there will be NO closure of school.
• In the event weather conditions deteriorate rapidly during morning transportation hours or during school, buses will continue their routes unless ordered to park by transportation or public safety officials. The reason for this is that students may be safely sheltered at school.
• Elementary and middle school students will be sheltered at school until they can be taken home by parents or by school bus. Parents may be notified to pick up their children early.
• High school students will be released to drive home if the school receives parental permission.
• Bus routes for the afternoon may be cancelled if all students have been picked up by parents or upon order of public safety officials or the Superintendent/designee. If students remain at school and buses cannot run, they will be sheltered until transported by parents, law enforcement, or security officials.
• Between 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. a blizzard warning will result in an after school activity cancellation.  
• Between 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. a winter storm warning, with snow forecast of 5+ inches along with a forecast of blowing and drifting snow will result in an after school activity cancellation. If the conditions are particularly icy the same cancellations may happen. Field trips may be cancelled.
• By 1:30 p.m. the decision to cancel activity buses will be made. When activity buses are canceled because of severe weather conditions, ALL activities are canceled, including meetings, conferences, sporting events, practices/rehearsals, performances, etc.
• Other activities, such as marching band practice, will also be cancelled.

Recess Guidelines

The decision to cancel outdoor recess will be made 10 minutes before students are released based on the digital outdoor thermometers at each school.

• 22°F and above: students and recess monitors will go out.
• 18-22°F: Shortened recess and teachers may choose to keep students in but recess monitors will go out OR

• A room will be open for students who want to stay in with one recess monitor. Other students may go outside and will be supervised by the other monitor on duty.

• 18°F and below:
• Before school starts students will be sent to the gyms. Recess monitors will supervise students until they are sent directly to class at 8:00 a.m. Monitors will help to direct students to their classrooms.
• Students and recess monitors will stay inside during recess. Movies will be shown during lunch with monitors in the movie rooms.