Hurricane Season

Student and staff safety are our top priorities! One of the most challenging decisions to make is whether to open or close schools because so much is at stake. Thus, the decision to open or close schools is based on a careful analysis of all relevant factors and information. Several key considerations come into play when making such decisions: 

• Direct consultation with the Harrison County Emergency Management Agency: The information they receive is accurate, and in many instances, it often precedes what is seen on local media outlets and provides pertinent information from multiple first response agencies such as Mississippi Power, law enforcement, etc. Hence, decisions are not solely based on weather predictions, which are not always accurate and are constantly changing.

• Information on road conditions from transportation staff and from agencies that serve our area: We give careful consideration to road/bridge conditions and flooding in the district. Even if your street looks clear, travel elsewhere in the district may be dangerous. Also, we recognize that many Pass Christian High School students drive to school, and we consider their driving inexperience as well when we make decisions. 

• Building conditions: Facilities/Maintenance and cafeteria staff verify the status of buildings and update the superintendent on the ability of each facility to accept students safely. They consider such as whether we have electricity and water service. They also look for damage that may impede our ability to have school such as interior flooding, roof damage, etc.

• In the winter months, temperature and wind chill considerations: To ensure students are not exposed to the elements for too long, we expect our buses to run very predictable routes. The same holds true for severe rain storms. 

  1. Parent Options: Some parents sit in their cars with their children during cold or rainy weather conditions or wait until the bus is approaching to send students to the curb. Most students receive door-to-door service.

  2. Outside Conditions: We also monitor playground temperatures and modify recess time based on advisories (hot and cold weather). 

• Decisions of neighboring districts: We share information with other local districts and are mindful of what decisions other school district superintendents are leaning toward. However, our decisions are independent of other districts because our location and circumstances are different. We may have flooding when neighboring districts do not or a storm may skirt around our district and not others.

As a district of close to 2,000 students, it is important to note that once a decision is made, it will be difficult to change directions. Although we do our absolute best in this process, we know that often no perfect decision exists. We work in partnership with families, we encourage our families to consider all information when making attendance decisions during these times; every child is different - every neighborhood's streets are different, etc. Students will need a parent note for the absence to be considered excused once the decision to open has been made. Further, the district may be required to make up each missed day. See the school year calendar for make-up days.

We hope that this explanation and those that follow help everyone understand the process that our district staff uses to make the best possible decision for Pirate Nation. Thank you for the distinct privilege of educating your child and for helping us to keep our students and staff safe.

The final decision is made by the district superintendent in consultation with the Harrison County Emergency Management Agency (when weather-related) and/or select staff and agencies. 

The superintendent will begin the notification chain by notifying the school board and district administration. Principals and department heads will directly notify staff once a decision is made about opening or closing schools. We will initially contact families through our automated phone system if we have a delayed opening, close schools for a period of time, or have an unexpected early release.  Other emergency notifications will be communicated to families in a variety of ways including phone calls, texts, and on our Pirate Severe Weather Center webpage. To aid in this process, we ask parents to keep contact information current to receive notifications promptly. We will also post information on the district's social media sites and share it with our local media outlets.

We will make the decision to close or delay opening schools by 5:00 a.m. or earlier using the specified methods. Parents will be notified immediately to give the best opportunity to make plans for the day. We will rarely make decisions the day in advance unless we are under a mandatory evacuation notice or strongly advised by the Harrison County Emergency Management Agency. Given the distinct weather challenges faced by our area, we encourage all parents to have a child supervision plan in place for inclement weather situations.

A delayed opening is when the district moves the start time forward by a specified amount of time. i.e., one or two hours later than normal opening time. Once a delayed opening is determined, move all times forward by the specified time. If your child's bus usually arrives at 6:30 a.m., the bus would arrive at 7:30 a.m. on a one-hour delay and at 8:30 a.m. on a two-hour delay.

Yes, periodically, the school district will need to release early for emergency purposes. For example, if severe weather is approaching or the school loses power or water, schools may need to dismiss early. These times are more challenging to plan for because they often happen unexpectedly. The district will make every effort to give parents a two-hour notice when possible.