Southcentral Alaska schools are ready for snow: what you need to know
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Areas in Southcentral Alaska — including Anchorage, the Mat-Su, and Kenai Peninsula — are currently under either Winter Storm Warnings or Winter Weather Advisories, as the first major snowstorm of the season moves through.
Alaska’s News Source reached out to all the major school districts in Southcentral to find out how they were preparing for the big snow event.
According to the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, after-school activities for Monday have been canceled for Regions 3, 4, 5 and 6 due to the winter storm. Activity cancellation for Regions 1, 2 and 7 are to be determined by each school.
A district spokesperson said they are closely monitoring weather conditions and will make a decision in regards to school operations for Tuesday by 5 a.m.
They say the primary goal is to keep as many students in-person learning as possible, but to do so safely.
As of publication, after-school activities for Anchorage School District students were still scheduled Monday.
Assistant Director of Communications for ASD Corey Young says the district works in tandem with the municipality, State Department of Transportation, and the National Weather Service when it comes to determining how school will be conducted during to a weather event.
“As part of our preparation, we check winter road conditions,” Young said.
Young said that crews who check out roads overnight have specific criteria required for school adjustments.
“We have a weather road conditions team,” he explained. “So their job is to basically go check out the roads. They’re checking for visibility, the conditions of the roads, conditions of the buses that are driving.
“[ASD and its partners are] determining when those roads could be cleared to make sure that students, staff, and families can get to the schools safely.”
ASD has tips for parents and members of the community who want to stay informed:
- ASD will notify families by 5:30 a.m. if there are delays, remote learning, or closure. If they can do it sooner, they will. Exceptions may occur on days when weather or road conditions change rapidly during the morning hours.
- If school operations change due to inclement weather, ASD will place a red banner across the top of their ASD homepage. The absence of a notice indicates there are no delays or closures.
- In addition to email, text and the app, ASD posts to social media and notifies local media partners in the event of closures.
- ASD’s backup plan is remote learning, though it will be used only if necessary. Schools are prepared to implement, and families should anticipate remote learning days instead of class cancellations.
- Read the District’s Emergency School Closure Procedures for more details.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District said it has “a thorough process to determine whether a two-hour delay or school closure is necessary.”
Kari Lee Dendurent says given how much land the district encompasses, final determinations aren’t typically made until the morning of the day affected.
“Kevin Lyon, our Director of Planning and Operations, begins working with the Department of Transportation, First Student, the Borough, and other entities at 3:00 a.m. to assess conditions and decide if bus routes can safely operate,” Dendurent said via email.
“[Lyon] also reviews our site cameras to evaluate the impact of snow or ice. Based on his recommendation, which he shares with me at around 4:30 a.m., I create our messaging by 5:00 a.m. and initiate contact with media and stakeholders to relay any decisions.”
She says for a full review of KPBSD‘s school closure or delay process, to visit the district’s website.
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