Q: What is the best way to stay up to date on school closings?

A: We encourage our school communities to be aware of potential inclement weather. To best serve our community in regard to closings or delays, we also encourage our patrons to check our website (www.olatheschools.org), download our free mobile app and follow our social media platforms for the most current information. We will post updates only if there is a closing. Additionally, parents in the district will receive an email and text message in the event of a school closing.

Q: If there is a cancellation, what time of day does the district make that call?

A: When dealing with weather, every situation is different and unfortunately there is no standard time in announcing cancellations. As soon as a decision has been made, district staff members work diligently to inform the public.

Q: What is the amount of snow or temperature at which school will be cancelled?

A: There is no “magic number.” A variety of factors are taken into consideration when considering cancelling school, including temperature, precipitation, wind speed, wind chill, road and sidewalk conditions, etc. All conditions and variables are closely monitored by district leadership. Many times, officials will work through the night monitoring the conditions. The safety of our students and staff is our first priority. Olathe Public Schools takes cancellations very seriously.

Q: Will we be notified if school is not cancelled?

A: Notifications will ONLY be sent if there are cancellations.

Q: Why is school sometimes cancelled the night before and other times during the early morning hours?

A: Each situation is different when dealing with weather. District leadership closely monitors all conditions often through the evening. All factors are taken into account. Olathe Public Schools takes cancellations very seriously.

Q: What if inclement weather occurs during the school day?

A: If school is in session, regular dismissal time will be observed rather than dismissing school early. We must be mindful of such safety issues as transportation, lack of supervision at home because of an unscheduled dismissal and the uncertainty of sending children away from a protected school environment and out into hazardous weather conditions.