Eugene School District 4J

When the superintendent determines to cancel or delay school for the safety of students and staff, the decision will be communicated as quickly as possible. If school is operating on a normal schedule, no announcement will be made—in this case, "no news means no change."

The district will communicate closures or delays through the following channels, typically by 6:30 a.m.:

• Local news media updates
• Notifications sent to families via emails, text messages and phone calls; emails sent to staff
• Posts on the district website homepage and social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram)

If you are not receiving text messages:

1. Check that your cell phone number is correct in BusinessPlus. 
2. Check your ParentSquare account. All district information is sent to your 4J email and/or cell phone through ParentSquare post. How you receive the information depends the preferences you set. To enable immediate notification, change your notification setting to “Instant”. Learn how!

Decisions about schedule changes due to hazardous weather or facility concerns are typically made early in the morning before school when current weather conditions can be assessed most accurately. Our priority is the safety of students and staff, while also recognizing that students and families are best served when schools remain open. We carefully evaluate all factors to make the best possible decision.

• Schools will stay open if the Transportation Department can safely operate buses on regular routes or snow routes and if schools have functioning power and plumbing.
• In the event of a weather-related closure, all schools will be closed for all students to minimize confusion and account for staff and student mobility.
• An exception may occur if a specific school experiences a localized issue, such as a power outage, in which case only that school may be closed.

Delayed starts and early dismissals are generally avoided due to the challenges they create. However, unpredictable or sudden weather changes may require such decisions to ensure safety.

On days when hazardous weather is a concern, the district may cancel school for students, or—more rarely—may close all schools and offices, delay the school day, end school early, or close individual schools due to a building problem.

The following general rules will be used to determine which staff members are to report to work. Unusual circumstances may cause an adjustment in these guidelines. 

Regular Hazardous Weather Day   |   Extreme Weather Day   |   Delayed Start   |   Early Closure   |   School Building System Failure

At any time, if employees who are required to work believe they cannot safely report, they should notify their supervisor and use the leave provisions outlined in their employment agreement.

Regular Hazardous Weather Day

When a hazardous weather day occurs, the announcement will be made to the media as: “Schools closed, offices open.”

Staff Reporting Expectations

• Principals, Administrators, Managers, Supervisors, and Professional Employees: All are expected to report to work.
• Non-Administrative Licensed Staff: Do not report to work. Missed time will be made up on a day added during or at the end of the school year.
• Classified Staff on 10-, 11-, or 12-Month Schedules: All are expected to report to work.
• Classified Staff on 196-Day Schedules or Less:
  • Bus Drivers, Van Drivers, Bus Aides, and Similar Positions: Do not report to work and will not be paid for the day. They may be required to work on scheduled make-up instructional days and will be paid for those additional days.
  • Other Classified Staff: Will be paid for the day but are required to make up the missed time on a day added during or at the end of the work year, or as outlined in the collective bargaining agreement.

Extreme Weather Day

When there are extreme weather circumstances, the day may be designated an extreme weather day. This will be announced to the media as “Schools closed, only emergency staff report.”

Staff Reporting Expectations

• Emergency Staff (Including Facilities and Head Custodial Staff):
  • Expected to report unless previously directed otherwise by their supervisor.
  • Emergency staff includes designated non-facilities staff required for critical operations staff with roles defined in advance.
  • Emergency staff required to report may receive additional pay in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement.
• All Other Staff:
  • Do not report to work.
  • Time missed may be made up on a designated make-up day or through arrangements with their supervisor if no make-up day is scheduled for their group.
  • Staff may also use appropriate leave as provided in their collective bargaining agreement.

Delayed Start

Occasionally, the start of the school day may be delayed due to inclement weather, typically by two hours. On these days:

• School will begin two hours later than usual and end at the regular dismissal time.
• If the delay occurs on an early release day, school will still dismiss at the early release time.

Staff Reporting Expectations

• Designated Emergency Staff: Required to report to work without delay.
• Administrators: Required to report without delay and in sufficient time to manage their assigned programs and address any special circumstances related to the delayed opening, including accommodating students who may arrive at the regular start time.
• Bus Drivers: Must report in time to begin their routes on the delayed schedule. If there is any uncertainty, it should be clarified with their supervisor.
• School-Based Staff: Required to report in time to perform assigned duties based on the adjusted schedule, but no later than two hours after their regular reporting time. Any questions should be resolved with their supervisor.
• All Other Employees: Required to report without delay and as soon as safely possible.

Early Closure

In rare situations, schools may need to close before the regular dismissal time due to worsening weather or other emergencies.

• Notification: School administrators will be informed of specific closure times.
• Student Safety: Students will remain under the shelter and supervision of the school until district-approved or personal transportation arrives to take them home.
• Activity Cancellations: All afternoon and evening activities will be canceled when schools close early.

Staff Reporting Expectations

• Staff are expected to stay at work unless formally dismissed.
• Some staff may need to remain beyond their regular work hours to care for students and support critical operations.
• Night custodians are expected to work their regular shifts unless notified otherwise

Transportation Details

• If a closure occurs while students are at school, normal school transportation will be provided as quickly and safely as possible.
• Principals must notify the district office of any students still on-site with delayed home transportation and make arrangements, such as providing shelter, supervision, and meals, for students unable to immediately return home.
• Buses may be delayed due to traffic or road conditions. Students riding buses should be released to their route buses when they arrive unless parents have arranged otherwise.
• Students not riding buses must remain under school supervision until approved transportation arrives.

School Building System Failure

Very rarely, an individual school building’s system may fail, making the school unsuitable for instruction. When a facility issue arises, the first person to notice it should notify the principal, the principal will notify the level director, and the level director will notify district leadership. If the facility issue significantly impacts the school’s ability to provide instruction, district administration will consult with the principal and other key personnel to explore possible solutions. The superintendent or designee will make the final decision regarding closure.

If school is canceled before the start of the day, district administration and the building principal will create a plan to notify students and parents and to manage any students who have already arrived.

Staff Reporting Expectations

• All staff will report for work—but check with your supervisor. If building conditions are unsafe or unsuitable for work, an alternate work location may be designated.
• In rare circumstances, the day may be determined to be a non-work day for the building’s staff, with the lost work time to be rescheduled at a later date. 
• Lost instructional time may be made up with adjusted schedules later in the school year.

When classes are canceled because of hazardous weather conditions, the superintendent or designee will make a decision by noon regarding after-school activities and night use of buildings by school and non-school groups. That decision will be communicated through the same notification procedures as a school closure. 

Ordinarily, when schools are closed for school activities, they are also closed for community-sponsored events that occur in schools (e.g., after-school childcare, school enrichment programs, youth sports activities, and routine rentals). Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis with the approval of the superintendent or level director.

When buses cannot operate safely, we close all schools rather than selectively closing some, to account for the mobility of staff and students and to prevent confusion within the community. Exceptions may be made for issues specific to an individual school building.

The Transportation Department designates modified bus routes, commonly called snow routes, in areas that predictably experience hazardous driving conditions. The use of snow routes has helped limit our closures even when there has been very harsh weather. We anticipate these routes will continue to reduce the need to close schools.

Parents of bus-riding students are informed in advance if their bus route has an alternate snow route, and are asked to check the district website, text messages, news media, or social media on days when the weather may interfere with the operation of school buses. Snow routes also are posted on the district website. Typically, the modification requires students to be serviced at a different bus stop safely accessible by a school bus.

To maximize instructional time, the school year will generally not be shortened due to hazardous weather days. These days will be made up either during the school year or on designated makeup days added to the end of the regular school year.

The terrain of the community and the varying distances that students and staff travel to school make it impossible for the district to make a decision that satisfies everyone. When schools remain open, parents are encouraged to make independent decisions about whether to send their children to school. If parents decide their children should stay home under such circumstances, they should notify the school, and the absence will be excused.

All facilities and head custodial staff, as well as designated emergency personnel required for critical operations, are expected to report unless previously directed otherwise by their supervisor. On days designated as extreme weather days, emergency staff who are required to report will receive additional pay.

These guidelines are consistent with the OSEA collective bargaining agreement (Article 12) and the EEA collective bargaining agreement (Article 10.3).