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Our Schools and Winter Weather: What Families Should Know

Posted Date: 12/01/25 (01:58 PM)
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Our Schools and Winter Weather: What Families Should Know

Dear Cville Schools staff and families–

With possible winter weather in tomorrow’s forecast, we want to share details about how CCS handles weather-related school closures or delays. Please read this message carefully for details about how we make these decisions and how you can keep up to date.

When making a decision about closing/delaying school due to weather, CCS considers:
  • Road conditions within the city
  • Conditions of primary roads in the surrounding area that would impact school staff and bus driver commutes
  • Sidewalk conditions within the city that would impact walkers
  • Conditions on school grounds, including walkways
  • Forecasted weather that could create hazardous travel, particularly if an early release is needed

Our staff works with the City of Charlottesville to make these decisions, consulting with a professional weather service and surveying local road and sidewalk conditions. 

My goal is to decide about closures and delays as soon as possible, and our team sometimes has enough information to make a final call the night before. When we need to wait until the morning, our team makes a decision by 5:15am and families will be notified around 5:30am. We announce via ParentSquare, plus Facebook and a website update – we also work with media partners to broadcast closures and delays on TV and radio.

School closures and delays are never easy decisions. We want our students in classrooms, and on top of that, closures can pose challenges for childcare or meals. Ultimately, we prioritize the safety of students and staff. Thank you for your understanding and support as we navigate winter weather together. 

Below, we are sharing some Frequently Asked Questions about winter delays and closings. Please make a plan for your family now in case winter weather causes a schedule change at school.

Warm regards,
Dr. Royal A. Gurley, Jr.
Superintendent

P.S. Thanks to Isa, in grade 3 at Greenbrier, for the artwork!

More about Weather-Related Closures or Delays

This information is also available on https://charlottesvilleschools.org/dailyroutines#snow 
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When does CCS make weather decisions?
  • Morning announcements will be made around 5:30am. Sometimes we can announce a decision the evening before.
  • Early-release decisions will be made by 10:30am whenever possible.

How will staff and families hear about school schedule changes?
  • Via email, text, or phone using ParentSquare. All staff, families, and CHS students automatically receive notifications. Community members can also sign up (see below).
  • CCS homepage: charlottesvilleschools.org.
  • CCS social media: Facebook (Facebook.com/CvilleSchools) 
  • Through local TV and radio stations and their websites.

How can community members who are not part of Cville Schools receive announcements of schedule changes?

What happens to after-school activities when schools are closed for the day?
  • All school activities are canceled unless otherwise indicated.

What happens when schools have a delayed start?
  • School buses run on the same delay as school. (If schools are opening on a 2-hour delay, then buses will run their usual routes 2 hours later.)
  • Early-morning (zero period) classes at CMS and CHS are canceled.
  • At CATEC, the morning session is canceled, but the afternoon session will begin at the usual time (1:25).
  • Morning field trips are canceled.

What happens when schools dismiss early?
  • Students will be fed lunch before being put on buses, if possible.
  • All school activities are canceled unless otherwise indicated.

What does it mean when CCS announces a “2-hour delay with re-evaluation”?
  • We sometimes announce a 2-hour delay with re-evaluation at 7:30am– especially if the weather is forecasted to begin early in the morning.
  • This gives us extra time to consider the latest conditions before we announce a final decision around 7:30am.
  • If you receive this message, we expect that schools will open 2 hours late, but please be prepared in case we announce a full-day closure at 7:30am.

How can a family know that CCS has decided to open schools on time?
  • Generally, no announcement means we will open school on time. No news is good news!
  • In some cases, we will post a message saying “we will open on time” to ParentSquare and the website with no notifications so that families can check to be confident that a decision has been made. This typically happens following a series of closures, or in situations where inclement weather was in the forecast, but conditions are safe.