From our Superintendent:

Heads Up! Winter Weather May Mean School Delay or Cancellation

by John Burgart

inter's mild start here in Dubuque shouldn't fool anyone who has lived in Iowa for more than a year. With little or no advance warning, we are likely to experience fog, ice, or snow — conditions that may require that we delay, dismiss, or cancel classes in the Dubuque Community School District .

We are sometimes asked, "Why does the district delay or cancel classes when so many of our ‘city kids' could walk to school?" The simple answer is, “If the buses can't operate, school can't operate.”

If a realtor's mantra is "location, location, location," the school district's mantra in determining whether or not to delay or cancel classes because of inclement weather is "safety, safety, safety." Our transportation manager and most experienced bus drivers monitor conditions carefully, in consultation with area law enforcement officials and street/road maintenance workers. If — very early in the morning — it is determined that conditions are not safe for operating our fleet of nearly 80 school buses, the manager will consult with her supervisor and then make a recommendation to me for the delay or cancellation. As superintendent, I bear the responsibility for making a decision regarding our students' and staff's safety, while fully recognizing and regretting the disruption that delays or cancellations cause to families' schedules and child care procedures.

Nonetheless, state law requires that classes be cancelled when school buses can not be operated.

All local and area media are contacted when a decision is made to delay or cancel, so families are advised to tune in when weather conditions are questionable. In addition, information regarding weather-related delays or cancellations is available by calling 552-3035.

Please feel free to contact me by e-mail jburgart@dubuque.k12.ia.us if you have suggestions, questions, or concerns.

John Burgart has written a great piece on the school cancellation policy, practices and circumstances that lead to the decision to cancel school in the event of inclement weather, road conditions, etc. Have you signed up for SchoolTrak yet? If you have kids in school, and if you own a cellphone, then this is a great service provided by Net-Smart and Radio Dubuque in our community. In the event of school closings or weather related delays, click on SchoolTRAK for the latest information. But here's the best part of all: You can sign up for e-mail notifications and cell phone text messaging absolutely free! Click on the School TRAK logo If you want current news headlines, click on your favorite radio station: KGRR 97.3FM (click on weather delays and alerts) , KAT-FM 92.9 (click on school info) , and KDTH 1370AM (click on weather closings and alerts, The River (click on news-SchoolTrak).