EBCD-R-1, Emergency and Extended Closings

View Print Version

Communication

Notice of an emergency school closing (whether prior to school start or during school hours) shall be communicated to individual building principals, to radio stations, to Denver television stations and posted on the district webpage, Channel 14 and the School Closure Line, 613-6788, by the superintendent or designated staff.

Building staff shall provide opportunities and assistance to students who need to contact parents who are working in the event of an emergency school closing which will result in early dismissal from school. Elementary teachers shall poll their classes in order to determine which students need to contact someone in order to be supervised when they arrive home and assist them in making such contact. Similar assistance should be provided to secondary students if they request it.

School and departmental communication plans: Each school or department is expected to have in place a procedure for communicating notices, changes or important messages to its staff. This plan should include a designated “communicator” e.g., principal, supervisor, lead teacher, secretary with whom the school or department’s staff should be in contact to give and receive instructions.

Emergency Closure

If an emergency closing occurs, the following work schedule may be initiated:

1. Maintenance, grounds, and custodial personnel responsible for facility/building systems, security and snow removal will report to work as usual. The lead custodian at each building will be responsible for checking mechanical operations in his/her building. Other maintenance personnel will be on call to respond to emergency calls until released by the director of operations or designee.

2. Other classified staff employees will be required to report to work as determined by performance of essential services.

Extended Closure

There are two types of extended closures, school(s) closure and district closure; school closure means that classes are not held, school-based meetings, activities, athletics, and other scheduled events are cancelled, libraries and other non-essential areas are closed. Examinations are cancelled, deadlines for assignments and other submissions due on a “closed” day are postponed until the school resumes.

District closure means that all district facilities are closed and only essential services are provided.

Essential Services

Essential services must be maintained for the safety and security of students, staff and visitors; to protect the taxpayers’ assets and investment in their schools, facilities, and grounds; to be good stewards of the public trust; and to follow prudent business practices.

The following are defined as “essential services” to be continued to the extent possible or allowable during an extended emergency closure:

Accounting (Payroll, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, deposits)
Building systems (HVAC, electrical, energy, refrigeration)
Security
Snow or debris removal
Emergency repair and maintenance
Communications

Responsible Person(s)

Staff (or responsible person) to provide essential services will be designated by the department’s administrator responsible for the essential services (listed above). Administrators are responsible for assigning duties to be carried out and making reasonable arrangements for the protection of responsible person(s). Administrators are expected to show flexibility and, so far as possible, sensitivity to individuals’ needs in assigning duties for essential services. No department can designate any other services as “essential” or require staff to work during an extended closure without approval from the superintendent or designee.

Compensation

In the event of an extended closure, the superintendent or designee will provide the Board with compensation options, based on contractual agreements and funding sources.

Responsible person(s) will be compensated for time worked, based on the individual’s hourly or daily rate. If staff is required to work more than the total number of contract or assigned work days, wages will be based on the individual’s daily rate.

A staff member who is on paid or unpaid leave, or who is not scheduled to work, during an extended closure is not entitled to equivalent time off later.

Make Up Days

Time not worked due to extended emergency closure may be accounted for through make up days, extension or revision of the school/work day or district calendar. The scheduling of makeup days is at the discretion of the Board and subject to CDE requirement.

If the Board or CDE determines that make-up days are necessary, all employees working under written contract or notice of assignment with the district, shall be paid in accordance with Department of Labor standards and contractual agreements.

The calendar will be adjusted to reflect the changes to student contact days and staff work days.

Approved prior to 1985
Revised April 1992
Revised August 15, 2007
Revised January 6, 2010