General Weather Guidelines
We will use the following guidelines regarding Cold, Heat (and Cold), and Snow Events. Decisions and notifications will be made by 5:30 a.m., when possible, for late starts and cancellations.
Cold
If the Actual temperature is -15 or colder, school will be delayed, or canceled.
If the National Weather Service issues a wind chill advisory that would be in effect at the start of the school day, there may be a two-hour delay.
- A wind chill advisory means that wind chill values are expected to fall to between -20° & -29° F.
If the National Weather Service issues a wind chill warning that would be in effect at the start of the school day, there will be a two-hour delay.
- A wind chill warning means the wind chill values are expected to fall to -30°F or lower.
If the wind chill warning is in effect beyond 11:00 AM, classes will be canceled.
Heat (and Cold) and the District’s Interruptible Power Agreement with Alliant Energy
Linn-Mar Community School District buildings are fully air conditioned, and most likely will operate on a regular school day schedule even in extreme heat by shifting activities to indoor locations or to a different time of day.
The district does have an energy-saving agreement with Alliant Energy that allows the utility to shut down power on the main campus (including Linn-Mar High School, Excelsior Middle School, Indian Creek Elementary, and the former Learning Resource Center.) Should temperatures become too extreme (cold or hot) and the utility elects to execute the terms of this agreement, the district may elect to close the buildings early.
This decision will be communicated to parents and guardians as quickly as possible, but may only be a few hours before the schedule change.
Snow
School will be canceled if heavy snow and/or icy conditions make it exceedingly hazardous or impossible for school buses to travel their routes and/or for employees and students to report to school safely. Decisions and notifications will be made by 5:30 a.m. on the morning of a cancellation. As a general practice, all activities are canceled unless otherwise noted.
These general guidelines are subject to change at the Superintendent’s discretion. Each weather situation will be assessed independently.