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APS Procedure for Inclement Weather

January 5, 2017

Dear APS Parents and Caregivers:

As temperatures in metro Atlanta threaten to dip near freezing, I wanted to ensure that every single

APS employee and all of our families was fully aware of our severe weather procedures so everyone

can be confident when severe weather does strike.

My blog today goes into detail about the process, but here’s a step-by-step explanation of how my staff

and I reach decisions concerning inclement weather:

1. When severe weather is predicted for our area, we constantly monitor reports from Atlanta

Fulton County Emergency Management, Georgia Emergency Management and the National

Weather Service and communicate with other metro-area school systems.

2. Our Core Weather Team (comprised of representatives from APS Operations, Transportation,

Safety & Security, Facilities Services, Communications, Schools and Academics, Nutrition and

Information Technology departments) joins a live conference call to assess the weather

information and emergency plans driven by Atlanta Fulton County Emergency Management

Office, the National Weather Service and others. In these conference calls, the team relies

heavily on National Weather Service input and data.

3. Should the Core Weather Team determine that school operations ought to close for the day or

the next day, we notify parents, caregivers and staff as soon as possible via robo-calls, texts

and emails, the district website, social media and local news outlets.

We cannot control Mother Nature, but if she is agreeable, this is how the decision-making process

typically unfolds.

When inclement weather is expected for the next day, we begin monitoring the weather by 11 a.m. and

hold an initial APS call at 7 p.m. If a decision is made to close or open schools, we immediately notify

media outlets and APS parents, caregivers and staff. We continue monitoring the weather and hold a

final decision call at 3:30 a.m., after which we immediately make notifications.

If inclement weather is forecasted the same day, we hold a morning decision call at 9:30 a.m. and, if

necessary, again at 2 p.m. about evening district activities. We make notifications immediately after

decisions are made.

Again, the weather can be unpredictable, so times will change with the weather.

To ensure that the process works as intended, I need you to make certain that we have accurate

contact information for every APS employee and every parent and caregiver. This is necessary in the

event we need to communicate with you about weather issues or emergencies. During such moments,

the safety of APS staff and students is the primary concern.

Regards,

Meria J. Carstarphen, Superintendent