School Closure Information
Bayfield School District
Emergency Closure Information
Bayfield School District closure information will be sent out and can be found in the following places:
- Bayfield School District Website
- Bayfield School District Facebook page
- Email Sent to Parents/Guardians
- Text Sent to Parents/Guardians
- Call to Parents/Guardians
- Email to Staff
How the Decision is Made
One of the primary goals of the Bayfield School District is to protect the safety and well-being of each student, each day. When severe weather conditions develop, a decision to close school will only be made after carefully considering a number of factors including information from area weather reports, La Plata county roads department, and our local staff monitoring road conditions across the district. Conditions in the town of Bayfield can be drastically different from the northern-most Vallecito Reservoir community, thus the safety of every square mile of the district, across 35 miles, is considered.
When weather conditions make traveling hazardous, schools may not open as scheduled or may close early. The decision to close schools for a weather or “snow day” will be made as early as possible, preferably by 6:00 A.M., by the superintendent in consultation with the director of transportation and the director of maintenance. Parents will receive an automated phone message and text message notifying them of a school closure.
When maintaining the regular schedule might result in large numbers of students being unable to return home safely, or the school buildings have lost power, as a last resort, school may be dismissed early. Every effort will be made to follow the regular end-of-the-day dismissal schedule since changing that schedule can cause confusion for parents and students.
Parents Can Help
Parents are ultimately responsible for their children and should decide for their own family whether their children should attend our schools during inclement weather or be checked out of school prior to the regular dismissal time. We encourage parents to decide what is best for their family when the weather is severe. Students, who leave school early, as always, are asked to sign out through their school’s office, after the secretary has spoken to a parent. Parents picking up children are to come to the office and wait for their children, who must sign-out before leaving. This process provides assurance the early departure is authorized and the child will be with an approved adult on the emergency contact list. Parents who choose to keep their children at home due to inclement conditions are asked to call the school office, so the staff knows that the child is where they belong and are safe (and we can excuse the absence in our system).
Closure Impacts to Athletics and Activities
All school and athletic activities are canceled when schools are closed or dismissed early because of inclement weather or any other unsafe condition. Community activities planned for a building that is closed due to these circumstances are also canceled for the safety of the community and the district staff.