Living in Indiana, we all know that weather can be very unpredictable.  There are many variables in deciding whether or not to delay or cancel school.  Here are a few of the many factors MVCSC staff are involved in before the Superintendent makes the final decision whether to delay or cancel school:

• MVCSC staff members check road and weather conditions frequently as well as forecasts on The Weather Channel forecasts before school, throughout the day and before events.

• Staff members in transportation, operations and administration drive roads in the MVCSC district as early as 4:30 a.m. 

• The MVCSC Superintendent communicates with other county officials and superintendents on road conditions and weather forecasts.

Communication:

• A two-hour delay or closing announcement will generally be made before 6 a.m.  Following a two-hour delay, if conditions do not improve and school needs to be canceled, the call will be made approximately by 8 a.m. It is not uncommon to call a two-hour delay first to see if the weather and/or roads improve enough to continue with the school day.  If the roads/weather do not improve enough within those two hours, then it is likely MVCSC will make the call to cancel school, following the delay call.

• The following methods will be used to communicate delays/closings: 

  • ParentSquare voice messages, emails, texts and push notifications to parents/guardians (Please make sure phone numbers are updated in Skyward Family Access accounts.)

  • District social media: Facebook: Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation, Instagram: MVCSC_District, Twitter/X: @MVCSC_District

  • Television: WRTV (Channel 6), WTHR (Channel 13), FOX/CBS (Channel 59 & 4), WISH (Channel 8). Be sure to check multiple channels. (Occasionally, a news station's platform may not work properly to be able to submit our delays/cancelations.)

  • MVCSC Website: Pop-up message box

Delay or Cancellation Variables:

• MVCSC uses forecasts from The Weather Channel as our weather source. Knowing that weather predictions in towns can differ slightly, we have selected McCordsville as our primary forecast location as it is roughly in the middle of our district.

• Hancock County emergency services can provide advisories or warnings related to windchill that may differ from The Weather Channel. Any time a Hancock County emergency services provider issues such notice, even if The Weather Channel forecasts something different, we will defer to the county and make delays and cancelations according to the emergency service’s weather advisory.

• Please know cold temperatures and wind can sometimes impact the functionality of our school buses and school buildings. Thus, there can be other operational considerations that could potentially inform decisions for delays and closures.

• Freezing Rain/Sleet: This type of weather is fast-occurring and the most unpredictable with little notice. Decisions are made at the latest possible time to observe the most current and local conditions.

• Fog: This weather can be isolated or blanketed in various areas.  If we have areas in our district that have concerning amounts of thick fog, MVCSC may delay or cancel. Being able to view at least 3/10 of a mile is a general rule of thumb for delays due to fog.

• Snowfall: Meteorologists generally give a two-inch variable when predicting snow accumulation. The decision regarding school status is delayed until the snow accumulation indicates a need for action or the National Weather Service or county emergency services issue an advisory.

• Extreme Cold/Windchill: Generally, if the windchill is predicted to be -10 degrees or lower, there will be a cause for delay. We reserve the right to cancel school should there be much lower windchill temperature. Please reference the National Weather Station Windchill Chart below.  A windchill advisory from a Hancock County emergency service will override the Weather Channel's data.

Driving to School:

• If you are allowing your son or daughter to drive to school, please make sure they are aware of the road conditions.

• Generally, the best route to school is to get to a major road or highway as they get treated more thoroughly than rural roads. Plan a longer route with your child if necessary; the safest route is more important than the fastest route. 

• MVCSC respects a parent’s decision regarding their child’s attendance at school during inclement weather. If electing to keep their child home for the day, parents/guardians have 10 verified days per school year that can be used at their discretion. See the “Attendance” section in our school handbooks for details on the 10 parent/guardian verified days.

Thank you for your support and understanding when MVCSC makes these difficult decisions. Together, parents and staff can help provide our students with the best educational experiences and future success!

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