Dear Parents and Guardians:
As we approach the winter season, I hope this letter finds you and your families well. As we have done in years past, it is my intention to carefully monitor the weather and work with our local authorities to determine the need for early dismissals, delays, and closures. In order to allow families to plan accordingly, I will do my best to provide information to families the evening before, prior to 9:00 pm, or around 5:30 am the morning of any school delays or closures. If a delay is called, please remember that bus times will be directly linked to the delay. For example, if your child is picked up at 7:00am and we have a 2-hour delay, expect the bus to arrive around 9:00am. Regarding early dismissals, we will communicate with you as they happen, as bus times will vary depending on the time of dismissal.
We also wanted to provide information regarding our planning for inclement weather and its impact on our 2024-2025 academic calendar. In accordance with state regulations outlined in Act 56 of 2023, the Milton Area School District will be utilizing the first two weather related closures for teacher professional development activities. Students will not be responsible for making up school on those days. If there are further closures, we will refer to our academic calendar which includes Tuesday, April 22, 2025 and Friday, June 6, 2025 as make-up days. We are hopeful that this plan will allow flexibility for families and outlines our planning as a district.
Additionally, if closures beyond these four days are necessary, the district will attempt to utilize Flexible Instruction Days (FID). As a reminder, a FID day is when students do not come to school but participate in educational activities from home. We realize that students working from home can be difficult for families. Each building will provide families with a schedule framework. The specific expectations for each classroom will be communicated with students prior to the FID.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we navigate these challenges together. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your child's school or the district office.
Sincerely,
Dr. John S. Bickhart
Superintendent