About Weather Decisions

Bad weather and closing schools.
Closing school due to bad weather is based on information gathered from many resources, including the National Weather Service, Accu-Weather, the news media (see below for listing), by test drives on the roads and inspection of driveways and walkways throughout the district. OKCPS uses this information when making a decision about bad weather.

Weather affects a larger portion of the district area and can spread to different parts of the city and county. Therefore, the most severe weather conditions within our district are used as the basis for the decision-making criteria. A uniform procedure to close all schools is maintained so that the school system can respond promptly to emergency weather conditions and protect the safety of the students, school staff and district employees.

Find out which schools are closed/closing.
The decision to continue or suspend activities should be announced, if possible, by 6:30am of the day involved so that the decision can be forwarded to the media for early morning broadcast. School closing announcements are made on the district website: www.okcps.org and on cable channel 18. You can also tune into the following news channels and/or radio stations for updated school closings:

• KFOR TV (CH. 4)
• KOCO TV (CH. 5)
• KWTV  TV (CH. 9)
• KOKH (CH. 25)
• KTOK TV (1000 AM)
• KOMA (92.5 FM)

After school and/or weekend activities.
When schools are closed, all school and community activities are canceled, including athletics.

Staff Requirements.
All 12-month employees are expected to be on duty when activities are suspended in the schools. If a 12-month employee cannot report for work, they will be required to use vacation days. Employees will not be able to use their sick leave or personal vacation leave unless all of their vacation days have been exhausted. Principals have a responsibility for their schools, and emergency conditions require that principals be available to handle unanticipated situtations. Principals should report to their schools if possible. A decision about early dismissal of 12-month employees shall be made on the basis of the needs of the system.