Inclement Weather Information
Hendersonville is known as the city of four seasons and our school district may be faced with a variety of inclement weather issues to deal with during the school year. When we experience inclement weather conditions, the safety of our students and staff is the most important consideration.
When a decision is made to close school, operate on a delayed schedule or dismiss early, the Henderson County Public Schools will notify parents with our phone notification system. We encourage parents to check with their children’s school to make sure the schools have the correct phone number and contact information.
The Henderson County Public Schools will notify local media outlets regarding any inclement weather announcements as well as posting the information on the school district website, Facebook and Twitter to provide timely information. If no announcement is made, schools will operate on a regular schedule.
We encourage parents to make plans ahead of time and communicate them with your children so they understand what to expect during a school closure, school opening delay or early school dismissal. Understand that school closings are for the safety of children throughout the district. While the condition of your neighborhood may be fine, other areas of the district may be experiencing harsher weather.
Decisions on schedule changes are made after careful consideration of the best information available. HCPS staff members consult with the following organizations when gathering information about potential or actual weather events:
- National Weather Service
North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT)
State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies
Other school districts in the region
Unfortunately, the timing of many weather events is such that we may have to make decisions based upon forecasts as the precipitation might not begin until later in the day. While no sources dealing with weather predictions can be infallible, decisions are made with one overriding consideration—the safety of our students and staff.
We try to make a decision by 6:00 a.m. when schools will be closed all day or will open two hours late. On some occasions, it is not possible to make this time frame as weather can change unexpectedly. On some other occasions, the school system may be able to make a scheduling decision the day before so that parents, staff members, and students know what will happen the following day. This usually happens when precipitation is already on the ground and the temperatures are such that the precipitation on the ground is frozen or will refreeze.
Inclement Weather Announcements
The school district will utilize the following announcements for inclement weather or emergency situations:
- Schools are closed – It is an ANNUAL LEAVE DAY
- Schools are closed – It is an OPTIONAL TEACHER WORKDAY
- Schools are closed – It is a REQUIRED TEACHER WORKDAY
- Schools are CLOSED for all employees.
- Schools will operate on a TWO-HOUR DELAY
A two-hour delay is just that—schools will open two hours after the regular opening time for students. - Schools will be DISMISSED at (a specified time)
Closings that occur after the school day has begun are difficult to plan. We will usually announce the dismissal in terms of a specific time such as: “The Henderson County Public Schools will be dismissed at 10:30 a.m.”