School Closure and Delay Procedures

There are a number of factors taken into consideration prior to making a decision to cancel or delay school or move to remote learning. Our primary concern is always the safety of students and staff. Therefore, the condition of roads is a prime consideration in our decision.

Whenever the likelihood of inclement weather (ice, snow, hurricane conditions) exists, district administrators maintain close contact with the city police, highway department, the NC Highway Patrol, the Hoke County Sheriff’s Department, Emergency Management Services, and officials from surrounding school districts. The decision to cancel or delay school or move to remote learning is made as early as possible. Such decisions are generally made by 5:00 a.m. When inclement weather conditions arise, we will first send out a School Messenger call to all students and staff. We will also post the information on our district website and social media pages. We will share the announcements with our local radio and television stations as well. If no announcement of delay or cancellation is heard, you should assume school is scheduled as normal. We will try to make our decision and announce it by 5:00 a.m, but this is not always possible. In some instances, we may be forced to cancel after students arrive.

If school must be canceled after students arrive, we will also use our communication channels to make the announcement. Because telephone lines are crucial during these times, parents and students are urged NOT to call the school, central office, or radio stations to ask about school closings or delays. As soon as a decision to cancel or delay school has been made, it will be announced. Calling the school, central office, or stations only tends to create problems during an already difficult time.