Emergency School Delays and Closing
The safety of Crossroads families and staff is our first priority. Because of unforeseen emergencies, usually related to the weather, school may be delayed, closed early, or closed entirely. There are four key issues we will consider in making decisions regarding delays or closings:
- Road conditions for families and staff who must drive to and from school
- Meeting our state-mandated adult:child staffing ratios during operating hours
- Having fully operational heat, running water and electricity
- Having fully accessible, cleared emergency exits and access to emergency personnel
These standards are in place year-round; inability to meet these standards may result in a temporary school closing regardless of the source of the problem (e.g. winter weather conditions, power outages, comprehensive staff illness, a declaration of County or New Jersey State of Emergency).
Procedures
For winter weather, we try to make decisions for school closings and delays between 6:00 and 7:00 am on the day in question. This is to allow the director time to collect the most recent information possible while still allowing enough time for parent and staff notification of the decision. In the event of extreme weather such as a blizzard, closing decisions can be made the previous evening. The director may consult the Princeton Regional School District, the Institute for Advanced Study, and other weather and emergency personnel.
There are three options for parents and teachers to obtain information in the event of a school closing or delay:
- Phone: Call the Crossroads telephone number (609-951-4699) for a recorded message.
- Email: Parents who supply Crossroads with a current email address will receive a group email.
- Cancellations.com: You can sign up for this free service simply by logging on to www.cancellations.com.
When storms or emergencies occur after students are already in school, it is sometimes necessary to send them home early. In these situations, it is essential that we have current contact information for a parent or emergency contact who will be able to pick up their child within one hour of notification of closing.