Inclement Weather

• Closure is considered when any of the following occur:
  • Kenton County issues a Level 2 or Level 3 Snow Emergency
  • Vendors assigned to clear campus parking lots and drive lanes are unable to clear snow/ice by the scheduled start of school or by a delayed start time
  • 10% or more of the 10,000 students who rely on District busing cannot be safely transported because of the weather impact on our 86 regular bus routes
  • District personnel have determined unsafe travel conditions exist
  • Power and/or water to a school(s) has been lost and the utility companies are unable to guarantee it will be back on during the school day
• Delay (one-hour or two-hour) is considered when any of the following occur:
  • Road conditions are improving and additional time for treatments will allow for safe travel
  • Power and/or water has been lost but utility companies are certain it will be back on by the delayed start time of the school day
• Normal schedule is considered when any of the following occur:
  • There is insufficient information to determine inclement weather will impact the normal start of school
  • Inclement weather creates such a minor impact to the majority of Kenton County roads that safe travel for buses, student drivers, and staff is still available

5:00 a.m. - The decision to cancel or delay school must be made no later than 5:00 a.m. in order to provide adequate notice to families and students of the District’s decision while also providing timely communication to our bus drivers and bus monitors who report to work at 5:30 a.m. and leave their homes between 5:00 and 5:15 to report on time.

• If snow is forecasted late at night or early in the morning before the normal start of school:
  • 3:15 a.m.
    • District personnel begin monitoring local road and campus parking lot conditions while also reviewing information from the National Weather Service, the Kentucky Department of Transportation’s Roadway Weather Information System, the Kenton County Public Works Department, and listening to local weather reports
    • The Assistant Superintendent of Operations begins contacting all District snow removal vendors to determine their ability to clear each of the 17 school campus parking lots and drive lanes
  • 4:00 a.m.
    • Transportation team members begin driving assigned roads throughout the county and report their findings to the Director of Transportation
    • If safe to travel, Custodial staff begin arriving at each school to clear snow/ice from sidewalks and entry points
  • 4:15 a.m.
    • The Director of Transportation contacts Kenton County Public Works and the State Transportation Cabinet to determine their ability to clear roads. Additionally, surrounding school Districts are contacted to obtain and share information, such as road conditions in the path of the storm that may eventually impact Kenton County roads, though any decision made to close or delay school is based solely on road conditions in Kenton County
  • 4:45 a.m.
    • The Superintendent is briefed on all collected data, receives a recommendation from the Chief Operation Officer on the status of school for the day, and makes a decision on closure, delay, or maintaining the normal school schedule
  • 5:00 a.m.
    • The District Communications team receives the Superintendent’s decision and initiates the district-wide communication system to share the information with all families and staff
      • CLICK HERE to sign-up for District weather notifications

• Prior to the start of the school day - District personnel follow the same process as described above (for mornings when snow is already on the ground or actively falling) based on the forecasted start of the weather event and considering dangerous situations for bus, student, and family driving/travel
  • Throughout the day - District personnel continuously monitor weather reports and road conditions to determine if it is safe to stay in school or if an early dismissal is necessary. 
    • The primary source of forecasted weather information is the National Weather Service with secondary sources being local media outlets.
  • In the event of an early dismissal, all students who rely on district provided transportation will receive the transportation they are accustomed to receiving each day. Parents/guardians have the ability to pick up their child(ren) if they prefer to do so and should follow their child’s school process for early dismissal

• If road conditions allow for safe travel, the District may initiate the “Inclement Weather Alternative Bus Route Plan”.  When this occurs, transportation will be provided to all students at schools that are open, but it will be necessary for some students to be picked up in an alternate location. This will allow buses to avoid impassable roads due to snow cover, the inability to turn around due to snow piles, uncleared areas in cul-de-sacs or other turn around locations. The District will do our best to identify every single road that cannot be traveled, but if you have a snow covered road or blocked turnaround, please contact Transportation at 859-356-0253.
  • The benefit of this plan is potentially minimizing disruption to student learning by having school on days that may have resulted in a complete District closure in the past
    • When this plan is in place, please note the following:
      • Streets impacted, and the alternate pickup location, may be found by CLICKING HERE
      • Pick up times may be impacted by +/- three (3) minutes
      • Buses may be tracked in real time using the TrackStar (Bus Buddy) app
        • Directions to use TrackStar (Bus Buddy) found HERE
      • If a student is unable to safely make it to the alternate pickup location and is unable to attend school on the day the alternative bus route plan is in use, it will be an excused absence

• Inclement weather may include low temperatures and low wind chills and we monitor the potential impact of the temperature for the safety of our students and staff. We focus on the “wind chill” or “feels like temperature” which is determined by air temperature, humidity, and air speed on a given day. We rely on the National Weather Service as they issue the following Cold Weather Announcements:
  • 1. Extreme Cold Watch
  • 2. Cold Weather Advisory
  • 3. Extreme Cold Warning
    • Extreme Cold Watch: Issued in advance of an event, typically changes to an advisory or warning. The District will monitor temperatures and wind chill values closely
    • Cold Weather Advisory: Air temperatures or wind chill values at or below -5 to -14 degrees
      • If there is a Cold Weather Advisory for Kenton County, schools will likely be open unless there are operational problems with the bus fleet or mechanical problems in the school buildings. Any announcement to close or delay schools would be made by 5:00AM
    • Extreme Cold Warning: Air temperatures OR wind chill values at or below -15 degrees. If there is an Extreme Cold Warning for Kenton County, then strong consideration will be given to closing schools and/or delaying the start of school. Any announcement to close or delay schools would be made by 5:00AM
  • Reasons the District is confident in our ability to have school during a cold weather advisory or extreme cold warning:
    • All students and parents/guardians may track the exact location of their bus using the TrackStar (Bus Buddy) app which should limit exposure to cold weather. 
    • Our transportation department will exercise additional flexibility with wait times during a Cold Weather Advisory or Extreme Cold Warning. Once again, we ask everyone to utilize the TrackStar (Bus Buddy) app to  limit exposure to cold weather.
  • To further reduce exposure to cold weather, please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for the cold weather. The district urges students to wear winter toboggans, gloves, heavy coats, and boots.
  • To provide Parents/Guardians with maximum flexibility when considering whether to keep your child home during a Cold Weather Advisory or Extreme Cold Warning, please know if you decide to keep your child home during an Advisory or Warning, the absence will be excused.

• Jim Hale, Director of Transportation
  • E-mail:  jim.hale@kenton.kyschools.us
  • Phone:  859-356-0253
  • If an inclement weather event is taking place at the time of your call, any member of the Transportation team who answers the phone at the number listed above may assist you