We make the decision to keep schools open or to close due to weather with one thing in mind: the well-being of Durango 9-R students and their families. Our schools are not only centers for learning, but for many students they provide nutrition, health care, counseling and essential support services. Our county consists of 1,700 square miles, and when we cancel school, the entire community feels an impact.

 

With such a large region to consider, we must make decisions based on the majority of the community and not any given community or region. The superintendent and his team members drive the roads early in the morning, speak with road crews, consult surrounding districts, consult with law enforcement and assess all areas of our district before making a decision.

 

Every family should have a snow closure plan. We will do our best to give parents as much advanced notice of school closures as possible, but in our area weather may change quickly, so it is best to have child care and alternative transportation plans pre-arranged.

 

We always recognize that conditions can vary from community to community. We encourage parents to make decisions based on conditions in their area and the safety of their children. When a student is absent because of adverse conditions, the absence will be excused by the school administrator. Teachers will always work with students to make up missed work or content when absent for weather reasons.

 

In the event of a delay or school closure we will notify families via phone, email, and text message through our alert notification system. Please make sure your contact information is current and updated with your school so you are assured you will also get these important messages. We will also alert families through our websites, Facebook, and Twitter. In these events the local TV and radio stations will also be notified. We will also update our information line with alert notifications at (970) 375-3811.