School Closing & Delay Procedures

The Mad River School District’s administration takes a team approach when making decisions about school delays and closures.  That decision is based on safety first, using the best information available at the time the decision must be made.

Input from the District’s Transportation Department is received after we have driven various roadways in the school district firsthand.  This procedure normally begins at 4:30 a.m. so that a decision can be made if a delay or cancellation seems warranted.  The Superintendent may also consult with other area school districts.  The final decision is generally reached around 6:00 a.m. to inform the media and affected District personnel.

As a reminder, updates will also be posted on our mobile app, social media pages, and local news broadcasts. Please make sure your phone numbers are up-to-date at your child’s school so that Blackboard will notify you of a delay or cancellation. 

School delays or cancellations due to dangerously cold weather will be based on the current weather forecasts which take into consideration temperatures and wind chill factors.  As a guide, if the wind chill is minus 10 degrees or colder, a delay may be scheduled.  If the forecast calls for brutal temperatures not to significantly improve, then Mad River would likely cancel classes for the day.  The concern is about potential hypothermia and skin exposure for the children who walk or wait at bus stops.

Acknowledging the challenges we may face this winter due to the inclement weather, we will continue to work together to ensure all precautions are taken to keep our students safe. As always, students should dress warmly for the commute to and from school.

Please see the start and dismissal time schedule should we delay...

Makeup-Days
Ohio law requires schools to be in session for a specific number of hours. Previously, the requirement called for a specific number of days, and Ohio law allowed up to only five calamity days before schools had to initiate make-up days.

Mad River builds in more than the minimum number of required hours into each year's school calendar, so the District has a substantial built-in reserve to accommodate multiple delays or closures this school year if needed. 

As a reminder, parents are urged not to schedule vacation immediately following the days after school lets out for summer break.  Should any Mad River school fall below the required minimum hours due to unscheduled school closings or delays, additional hours/days will be added to the end of the school year.

Scheduled activities will be canceled when the District is closed due to inclement weather. Cancellations will be made with as much warning as possible.  Weather closings on Fridays may cause weekend cancellations.

Activities: Even if school is closed, some after-school or evening activities may be held as planned. That’s because conditions that were bad in the morning may be much better by the afternoon or evening. So closing school does not automatically mean all after-school and evening activities are also canceled. It is handled on a case-by-case basis.

Other districts: Mad River is in touch with other school districts, primarily to get a report on conditions there and what might be expected in our district. However, Mad River does not base decisions on what other districts do. Road conditions can be very different even in nearby districts, based on terrain, snow removal capacity, miles of roadway to clear, etc. Frequently, districts in the same general area make different decisions.