Health & Safety
How do we decide to close school? The decision to delay or close school is a careful decision made by the Mayor informed by several factors, including temperature and wind chill, levels of snow and ice, road conditions, the availability of public transit, and how these conditions are forecast to develop over the course of the day.
How is the public notified of school closings? Should snow or severe winter weather be expected, families will be notified via email and text message if schools may open late, dismiss early, or be closed. DCPS’ operating status will also be posted online at dcps.dc.gov, on @dcpublicschools social media accounts, and with local news outlets.
What does a 2-hour delay mean? A delay causes schools to open two hours later than the normal start time. Schools will still close at the regular time. A delay does not count as a snow day and does not need to be made up later in the year. Any before-school programs such as daycare will be cancelled. Schools will individually decide how to alter their bell schedule for a delay and if they will serve breakfast. When the opening of school has been delayed due to weather, afterschool programs will operate as scheduled.
What if inclement weather develops during the school day? We open with the intent of remaining open for the full school day. Early dismissals are used only in extreme situations. The decision to cancel any extended day, afterschool program, or athletic event will come from the Chancellor. In such cases, DCPS will inform schools and families that afterschool programming is cancelled. If we need to close early, students will still be served lunch before dismissal.
When will school be made up? State law requires us to have a minimum of 180 school days. To meet this requirement, some snow days will need to be made up at the end of the year. DCPS will communicate make-up days each year accordingly.
Immunization Info
Make sure your child is up to date on their required immunizations. Families are required to submit their student’s up-to-date immunization records by the first day of school. You can find a list of required immunizations for your child according to their age by viewing this helpful flyer from DC Health. If you have not already submitted your child’s immunization records to your school, have your child’s medical provider complete DC’s Universal Health Certificate, available here, and return it to your school.
The best place for DC families to access childhood immunizations is at their primary medical provider. If a family does not have a health care provider for their child or has difficulty securing an appointment before the first day of school, they can select one from a list of pediatric locations, located in every ward.
