Occasionally, inclement weather will require the closure of Cannon Count Schools. After a decision to close schools is made, the news will be dispersed to parents, students, employees, and the community through regular means. Radio stations WBRY and WSM will be contacted. The notice of school closure will also be distributed to Nashville TV stations on News 2 Snow Tracker (www.wkrn.com) News Hound 5 Snow Watch (www.NewsChannel5.com), Channel 4 Snowbird (www.wsmv.com) and the Fox 17 News Closing Hotline (www.fox17.com). The school closure notice will be broadcast on TV and posted to their respective websites. A message service has also been installed to provide school closure information. The number is 464-6141. This message service will be updated as needed.
The K12Now notification service is also available again this year. K12now allows school personnel to communicate with subscribers via email and cellular/pager text messaging for emergency closings and/or general announcements. K12now is free of charge to use, and signing up is fast and secure. Subscribers can enter up to four email addresses and up to two cellular phone or pager messaging phone numbers. You can choose which addresses receive emergency or priority notifications, and which addresses receive general notifications. Your personal information will never be shared or sold. You may subscribe to messages from one school or all schools. Emergency notifications such as school closure will be sent to all subscribers.
In order to sign up for this notification service, find the link on this website under resource links or simply click on the following:
http://my.k12now.com/ and enter this code: NVKGTLM
School closure decisions are made more difficult if bad weather strikes during the night or early morning hours. In such cases, every effort will be made to make a decision by 5:30 am, and then begin the public notification process. We certainly do not wish to put students or employees in danger due to bad weather conditions. Safety is the primary consideration. Every effort will be made to make wise decisions based upon the best information that can be obtained. The varying weather conditions that can exist in Cannon County also add to the difficulty of such decisions.
Schools may also be required to dismiss early due to inclement weather. In such cases, we will first inform the administration of each school regarding the established dismissal time. Bus drivers will be contacted, and an orderly dismissal plan will be followed. The news will be distributed through the other methods as mentioned previously. Parents are encouraged to inform children and school officials of alternative child care arrangements that may be required on such days. Parents may also wish to discuss these procedures with teenagers who drive to school. Adequate supervision will be provided by school employees. If dismissal occurs near midday or early afternoon, every effort will be made to serve lunch.
Bus drivers know the challenges of driving on Cannon County roads. Our drivers are encouraged to use their professional judgment as to whether a road has become impassable. In such cases, drivers may not run some routes or students may be kept safely on the bus or at school until other transportation can be arranged. In the event a bus driver cannot complete his/her route due to road conditions, all bus drivers are authorized to seek a “safe harbor” at any Cannon County School. Principals have the responsibility to accept students and drivers during an emergency, whether the students are assigned to their school or are from another school. Schools will be prepared to provide shelter, restroom facilities, food if needed, and allow students to contact a parent or guardian.
To check for school closures click here -> http://my.k12now.com/k12now/bp/viewArchive.htm?lnc=nvkgtlm
If you have any questions about these procedures, please call the Central Office of Cannon County Schools at 563-5752. Lisa Black, Supervisor of Transportation (Ext. 237); Barbara Parker, Director of Schools (Ext. 235).
