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School District of Belleville

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Emergency/School Closing Info

School Closing Guidelines

The safety of our students and staff is the school district's top priority. When inclement weather is in the forecast, the school district relies upon various resources to make a decision to (1) remain open, (2) delay the start of school by 2 hours, (3) close schools 2 hours early, or (4) close schools all day.

The District receives regular updates from the National Weather Service through webinars on weather event dates. We also drive routes and speak with plow drivers, law enforcement and snow removal companies to judge road conditions.

We realize that school delays and cancellations impact childcare and family employment. These decisions will be communicated through email, text, Facebook, Instagram, the District’s website banner, and on Channels 3, 15, and 27.

  • A decision to close all day or delay the start of school will be made by 6 AM.
  • A decision to close school 2 hours early will be made by 11 AM.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • If you have signed up for notifications and school will be delayed or closed for the day, you will receive an email and/or text message. The district will send out the notification as early as possible. There will also be posts on Facebook, Instagram, and the District’s website.

    The following stations will make announcements if school is canceled or delayed:

    • WISC-TV Channel 3
    • WMTV Channel 15
    • WKOW-TV Channel 27

  • You can sign up for text message notifications through Family Access. Click Skylert on the left and be sure to put your cell number in the Text Message Numbers section at the bottom. You will need a Family Access login and password for this.  If you do not have your login and password, you can use the "Forgot your Login/Password" option on the Family Access login page.

  • The decision to operate or close school is based on weather conditions within the School District boundaries and local road reports. There is consultation with several others before making a decision. This includes the National Weather Service, our Transportation Department, plow drivers, law enforcement, snow removal and other area superintendents.

  • Consideration for closing schools may take place when the air temperature is near 25 degrees below zero and/or windchill is near 35 degrees below zero. The timing of these temperatures impacts the decision for closing schools.

  • If conditions change rapidly and the District determines it necessary to release students early, families will receive communications by 11 AM. The same communication methods will be used for all closures.

  • Closing school early will occur when serving lunch has completed.

  • If school is canceled all day or early due to inclement weather, the general practice is to cancel all athletic and extracurricular events, and close all buildings. There may be exceptions to this in the event that afternoon and evening conditions will significantly improve. An announcement will be made informing the community if this will occur.

  • Yes. An alternative to closing school is a 2-hour delay. If a 2-hour delay is implemented, school will begin two (2) hours late with all students reporting for classes at 10:00 AM. Morning 4K classes will not report to school. Afternoon 4K students and Early Childhood will have school as normal.

  • When the air and/or wind chill temperature is 0 degrees Fahrenheit or colder, all students shall be permitted to enter the building upon arrival to school and will be kept indoors during recess periods in grades K-8.

  • The decision to send children to school rests with the parent/guardian. Students kept home due to this decision will be excused. Please contact the school your child attends to let them know your child will be absent that day.