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Inclement Weather Guidelines

Inclement Weather
Traditional Snow Day/Inclement Weather Information during full face-to-face or blended learning environments - We understand that the decision to keep schools open or close them in bad weather has a big impact on our families and staff. We also know that our students are better served – both academically and socially – by being in school. Please know that the safety of our students and staff is always our top priority in any decision of this sort.

Who makes the decision to close schools?

The superintendent of schools is responsible for the final decision, based on the factors listed below and recommendations from key staff members.

When is the decision made to close school for the day?

We make every effort to make our decision to close schools before 5:30 a.m. so we can notify radio and TV stations, staff members, and families as well as post the decision on our Website (www.swcsd.us), Facebook and Twitter. If we wait longer to announce school closings, our buses are already on the road and many parents will have left for work, leaving their children at home unsupervised. As situations evolve with every unique weather system, we may need to make further adjustments when needed to keep students safe by way of a cancellation or through the cancellation of parts of specific routes on rare occasions. 

How are parents and the public notified of school closings?

Parents will receive a telephone call and/or e-mail and text through our parent notification system when the decision is made to close school. Please make sure your emergency contact information is up-to-date through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal (Contact Preferences) to receive your notification.

We will also continue to notify the media of all school closings. Parents can check our Website for closing information (www.swcsd.us) and/or sign up for Facebook or X notification through the Website. Many of our local television stations have immediate notifications that can be sent to your e-mail, cell phone or home phone. Given the fact we have more than 21,000 students, we ask that you not call the school or the district offices, unless it is an emergency.

What factors are considered when making the decision to close schools?

The decision to keep schools open or to close schools in bad weather is based on a careful analysis of various factors including:

  • Information on road conditions from the transportation staff, townships and city personnel, and local police departments. Your street may look clear, but travel elsewhere in the district may be very dangerous. The opposite is also true.

  • The amount of snow and ice that has accumulated.

  • Whether the conditions are worsening or improving.

  • Building conditions such as whether the buildings have electricity, heat, and water.

  • Parking lot and sidewalk conditions. We keep in constant contact with our maintenance and custodial staff to make sure our school locations can be safely cleared.

  • Temperature and wind chill. We do not publish a specific temperature or wind chill at which schools will be closed as different sources can report different air temperatures. In most cases, schools can remain open even when air temperatures fall below zero.

  • Weather predictions. While a factor, we prefer not to make our decisions based solely upon weather predictions, which are not always accurate. Historically around the Rt. 70 interstate, that road seems to be the freezing line when predicted weather becomes rain, snow, or ice. However, many times a weather pattern that is predicted does not always come to fruition once it comes into the area so it becomes a reporting from the ground approach as it happens. 

  • What other area school districts are doing. We share information with other local school districts and check their status. This does not mean that South Western City Schools will automatically be closed if Columbus City Schools are closed.

Does SWCS have a plan for a two-hour delay?

The district has studied a two-hour delay as part of the decision to keep school open or to close. As we studied this option we involved a variety of staff, community, and parents. Based upon the vast differences in the 119-square mile geographic areas of the district, it was determined that in those rare cases when a two-hour delay would be an option, it would be more appropriate to close school for that day. Part of this reasoning is based upon those situations in which a two-hour delay would eventually become a school closing. Students may be left without child care, care givers outside the district may not be appropriately prepared for the change, a student may be left at a bus stop for an extended period of time waiting on a bus, or an individual may not receive word of the change.

Our 180+ buses serve multiple schools, both inside and outside the district, in a three-tiered system. It is not feasible to operate a delayed-start schedule.

At this time, the district has determined that it will make the decision to stay open or to close based upon the conditions that exist first thing in the morning. While this could ultimately close school for an additional day, we believe that it is safer for students and staff than the alternative. Therefore, at this time, the district will not use a two-hour delay as an option.

Will SWCS close school if conditions worsen?

Please remember that for the safety of our students and staff, we cannot reverse an early morning decision to keep schools open – even if weather conditions worsen. This could endanger many of our students as our parents rely on the information and leave for work.

If the decision is made to close schools early and send students home, many return to unsupervised bus stops and empty houses. While we make every attempt to avoid early dismissal, if conditions worsen during the day or we lose power and/or heat, we may be forced to close school early, dismissing the high school students first. In the event of such a decision, we will notify parents through our parent notification system of the change. We also urge you to pay close attention to local radio and television stations, social media, and Websites for timely updates. Students will not be able to use school telephones to make arrangements, so please have an emergency back-up plan in place in the event of an unexpected dismissal.

Please know that we do our best to keep our students and staff safe during inclement weather. There is no perfect decision for everyone. We hope this explanation helps everyone understand the process that our staff members and superintendent use to make the safest possible decision for everyone connected with our schools.

Radio Stations

WSNY (94.7 FM) WBNS (1460 AM) WTDA (103.9 FM) WOSU (89.7 FM)

WBNS (97.1 FM) WCOL (92.3 FM) WODB (104.3 FM) WVMX (107.9 FM

WWCD (CD 101) WLVQ (96.3 FM) WTVN (610 AM) WRKZ Blitz (99.7 FM)

WCVO (104.9 FM) WMNI (920 AM) WLZT (93.3 FM) WJZA (103.5 FM)

WHOK (95.5 FM) WNCI (97.9 FM) WZNW (1230 AM) WCLT (100.3 FM & 1430 AM)

WAZU (107.1 FM) WCBE (90.5 FM) WFJX (105.7 FM)

WBKO (103.1 FM)* *WBKO is a Spanish-speaking radio station.

Television Stations

WCMH (NBC-4) www.nbc4i.com

WSYX (ABC-6) www.abc6onyourside.com

WTTE (Fox-28) www.myfox28columbus.com

WBNS (Channel 10) www.10tv.com

On the topic of a caller stating “I did not get a robo call”

Robo calls, texts, inbox messages, and emails from the district are set up through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal using inputs parents and guardians have typed into those text fields. Beyond this, parents and guardians can make elective decisions for preferences that populate in a check-box for when they do not and do want to be contacted. We encourage you to log in through your IC Parent Portal account to review what boxes are checked and unchecked. In the past we have heard from families that they have accidentally unchecked a robo call notification when they did not mean to do so. 


For account questions, contact us at [email protected]