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Regular attendance is important to success in school and we expect that when school is in session, students are engaged in learning. However, because we live in Wisconsin and our winter weather is unpredictable, the School District of South Milwaukee has established the following guidelines for decisions related to inclement weather. Please refer to these guidelines when you have questions about possible school closings.

• Our first priority is to ensure student and staff safety. We consider information from the National Weather Service, local road conditions, and reports from our buildings and grounds department to make a decision about school closures.

• Decisions to close school are made as soon as practicable, typically no later than 5:00 am. Area superintendents remain in close contact as soon as we hear a prediction of inclement weather, often having conversations the day before and again in the early morning.  While we try to keep decisions consistent across the region, each of us must weigh the many factors unique to our district. Therefore, there may be times that another district is open and we are closed, or vice versa. 

• Decisions regarding extreme cold or snow are based on the National Weather Service’s (NOAA) WARNING level. For extreme cold weather, the WARNING level is a sustained minus 30 degrees wind chill or lower. While exceptions are possible, you should plan on school being open if the forecast does not reach the WARNING level. Cancellations for snow are based on the amount and timing of the snowfall, as well as compounding factors such as wind or ice layers. The weather service also changed the term “Wind Chill Warning” to “Extreme Cold Warning.”

• Sometimes the weather will surprise us after school is already in session. We will generally not close once school is in session due to transportation and/or supervision concerns. 

• Provided we have a current telephone number on file, families will receive a phone call if school is canceled. You can also find information on our district website, through local media, or by following us on Facebook.

School closing decisions are not easy. Your child’s education is important and we want to provide learning opportunities on as many days as possible. Please know that we use our best judgment with the information we have available at the time.