Emergency Closing Information

Emergency School Delays and Closing

The safety of Crossroads families and staff is our first priority. Because of unforeseen emergencies, school may be delayed, closed early, or closed entirely.

Crossroads follows the Princeton Public Schools during severe weather to factor in regional road conditions. Additionally, any emergency closing decisions made by IAS must be adhered to by Crossroads.

Emergency closings most commonly result from inclement weather and resulting road conditions and power outages.

There are four key issues that affect delays or closings for Crossroads as a NJ State licensed early childhood program:

• Road conditions for families and staff who must drive to and from school
• Meeting 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

It is important to understand that more than fifty percent of our community, students and staff, are not in residence on the IAS campus and must commute daily to school by car. Also, Crossroads is housed on the Institute for Advanced Study campus and is dependent on IAS maintenance of its private roads and buildings for safe access and operation.

Procedures:

For inclement weather, we try to notify families of 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 from the Princeton Public Schools and IAS Administration, while still allowing enough time for parent and staff notification of the decision. In the event of extreme weather such as a blizzard or ice storm, closing decisions can be made the previous evening.

In the event of a school closing or delay, parents can obtain information in the following ways:

• Email: Parents who supply Crossroads with a current email address will receive a group email.
• Phone: Call the Crossroads telephone number (609-951-4699) for a recorded message.

If ever severe power outages affect Crossroads’ communication systems, you can also consult the Princeton Public School website (www.princetonk12.org) or emergency closings telephone line (609-806-4202) to determine if closures or delays are in effect.

Closings:

When the Princeton Public Schools announce they are closed for the day because of severe weather conditions, Crossroads will automatically be closed. Likewise, if the Institute for Advanced Study closes for more localized emergency conditions affecting our campus, Crossroads will also be closed.

Delayed Opening:

When the Princeton Public Schools or the Institute for Advanced Study announces a delayed opening, Crossroads will also have a delayed opening. You will be informed of Crossroads specific opening time by email or you can call Crossroads (609-951-4699) for a recorded message.

Early Closings:

Inclement weather or emergency conditions that develop during the school day can result in early closings. When Princeton Public Schools or the Institute for Advanced Study closes early, Crossroads will also close early. Crossroads will email and call parents to notify you of early closings. In the event the Princeton Public Schools are in session yet cancel after-school activities, a Crossroads early closing will be at the discretion of the Director. 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 an hour of notification of closing.

Additional Information:

When Princeton Public Schools and/or IAS are not in session, emergency closings and delays will be made at the discretion of the Director.

When there are other emergency events that impact the safety of Crossroads families and staff, the Director has the authority to declare emergency closures and/or delayed openings to insure the safety of our community.

COVID-19 related closings:

The occurrence of COVID-19 symptoms at Crossroads could result in home self-isolation orders of an individual cohort, multiple cohorts or the whole school by the Department of Health. The duration and scope of any program disruption will be determined with the local Department of Health and/or the Department of Children and Families Office of Licensing.

Tuition refunds will not be issued for closings caused by circumstances outside of Crossroads’ direct control, except as described in the Force Majeure addendum in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic; nor will additional school days be added to the Crossroads calendar. Please note that if a child is absent or unable to attend the program because he or she is ill for any reason or quarantined for any reason, whether or not related to COVID-19, such absences do not qualify for a tuition credit unless your child’s class is closed.