• Inclement Weather & School closing Guidelines


    Current Weather Conditions in Paulding County

    The Weather Channel

    National Weather Service

     

    Who is watching the weather forecast?

    Several days before any weather event, the superintendent and his administrative staff participate in National Weather Service webinars and carefully watch the weather. From unsettled weather patterns that can spawn tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in the late spring to snow and ice storms that may cause travel difficulties in the winter months.

     

    Where does their information come from? 

    School district staff listen to a variety of forecasts. The Director of Transportation and his team of bus drivers test road conditions on bus routes starting in the early hours of the morning. The Paulding County School District is also in constant contact with the Paulding County Sheriff's Department about road conditions across the county. Even if it looks clear on your street, dangerous conditions may exist in other parts of the county.

     

    How does the superintendent make the decision to close schools?

    The determination on whether to close schools in Paulding County for inclement weather is dependent on a number of factors. Student and staff safety is our top priority. The final decision is made by the Superintendent of Schools, based on detailed recommendations from staff working closely with public safety agencies, city and county governments, the county’s Emergency Management Agency, and the National Weather Service. This is not a night-before or day-of decision. Coordinating with these agencies and internal district departments starts well ahead of the anticipated arrival of bad weather.

When Deciding to Close Schools

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  • How does the superintendent make the decision to close school?

  • Where does their information come from?

  • Who is watching weather forecasts?

Factors That Determine School Closing

  •       THE FORECAST

    Meteorology is not an exact science. Weather patterns can change quickly. Frozen precipitation that falls on neighboring states and counties can quickly turn to rain as a system moves across the state. The precipitation can just as easily turn from rain into sleet or snow. Weather systems can speed up or slow down, meaning they do not arrive as forecasted. The decision to cancel or delay school based solely on the temperature is more difficult when the mercury is hovering just at or around freezing. A degree or two in temperature can make the difference between normal, wet conditions and slick, snowy or icy roads.

    In the days leading up to an anticipated weather event, district personnel participate in conference calls held by the National Weather Service, multiple times a day and often at night. Sometimes the weather forecast is not definitive enough to make a decision on school closing the night before. That means staff members spend their evenings and nights watching the forecast. They are often up early the next morning driving the roads around the county looking for dangerous conditions for both car drivers and bus drivers. This can lead to a delay in communicating a school closing until the morning of a cancellation.

     

    ROAD CONDITIONS

    Paulding County covers more than 314 square miles. Road conditions can vary greatly in various parts of the county. The northern part can be impassable, while the southern part might not have any precipitation at all. We cannot assume that, because roads are good in one neighborhood, all roads throughout the county are safe. This is one reason district personnel drive the roads themselves. We also rely on staff members and bus drivers to communicate road conditions in their neighborhoods, as well as officers from the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, and the Dallas and Hiram Police Departments. This shared information is factored into the decision-making process. Paulding County school buses travel more than 13,000 miles a day, transporting more than 17,000 students. Buses must be able to travel safely. Paulding County also had many student drivers, and road conditions must be safe for our most inexperienced drivers to get behind the wheel.

     

    TEMPERATURES

    Extreme cold is rare in Georgia, although we do occasionally see temperatures in the single digits. Those low temperatures can affect our diesel-engine school buses. That is why on mornings where the temperature is forecasted to be below freezing, our bus drivers are in their buses well before dawn to make sure they crank. School buildings can also be susceptible to frozen pipes and heating malfunctions, especially in our older facilities. However, cold temperatures are not, by themselves, a reason to cancel school. When school is held on a cold day, we encourge parents and students to dress appropriately in layers.

School Closure FAQ

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  • What are Digital Learning Days and when does the school district require them?

  • What if bad weather occurs during the school day?

  • How do I find out if schools are closed?

  • Why not close school when other counties announce they are closed?

  • Why not close school at the prediction of snow, just to be safe?

  • Why isn't the decision to close school made the night before?