Weather Cancellations

While we want to always keep our schools in session, sometimes we need to make a difficult decision to:

cancel or delay school
release students early
have students engage in eLearning due to weather and emergency situations.

This page is meant to keep you informed to prepare you for potential school delays or closures.

Weather Cancellation Procedures

Notifications & Communications

Our goal is to make decisions regarding school closings or delays as soon as possible in order to allow parents to make alternative arrangements for work/child care. Our deadline to alert parents are:

5:30 a.m. for closings or delays
11 a.m. for early releases

We try to make a decision and relay the information much earlier than these times; however, certain situations may delay the process.

Make sure your contact information is always updated in Infinite Campus you are sure to receive any emergency closing notifications we send out! If you want to receive emergency texts and phone calls, you must opt in. Infinite Campus requires this, as not all families have access to a cell phone or unlimited text messaging.

Where Else Can I Find Weather Updates?

Email, Phone Call, and Text (for those who opt-in)
Our Facebook Page
Our Website
Local News Stations (Kare 11, WCCO, Fox 9, and KSTP)

Snow Day Vs. E-learning Day

E-learning Procedures

eLearning can be used in the event that Big Lake Schools were to close due to inclement weather, utility emergency, etc.

All K-12 Students will follow an eLearning schedule, including Big Lake Online and Wright Tech.

Teachers will post assignments by 9:00am of the scheduled school day and will be available to students until 3:00pm (with the exception of lunch and any pre-scheduled meetings).

Teachers will communicate and post assignments on Seesaw or Otus along with expectations for the day.

Device Not Sent Home?

To reduce cost and breakage, K-5 devices are no longer sent home daily. In the event that a school closure decision is not made in time and devices are not sent home with students, refer to the Choice Boards shared in early November.

Impacts on Kids Club, Community Education, Preschool & Activities

When school is canceled the day before:

Kids Club and Hive Time are canceled
All Community Education and ECFE classes are canceled
All after-school activities are canceled
Little Learners preschool and ECSE classes are canceled

When school is canceled the day of:

Kids Club and Hive Time are open
All Community Education and ECFE/ECSE classes are canceled
All after-school activities are canceled
Little Learners preschool and ECSE classes are canceled

During Late Starts:

Kids Club and Hive Time open on time
AM Little Learners preschool and ECSE classes are canceled
AM Community Education and ECFE classes are canceled
After-school activities will occur

During Early Dismissals:

Kids Club and Hive Time will remain open until the last child is picked up
PM Little Learners preschool and ECSE classes are canceled
PM Community Education and ECFE classes are canceled
After-school activities are canceled

More FAQs

Do you consult with other school districts?

When considering whether or not to delay or close, Big Lake Schools consults Becker, Monticello and St. Michael-Albertville schools. These are the closest school districts to us that are similar in population and experience similar temperatures and weather conditions.

What Factors are Considered?

Current and forecasted weather conditions
Safety of students - this includes the ability of buses to start and run routes, the distance of students who may have to walk, etc.
Increased loss of learning time for students
Students who rely on the district to provide breakfast and lunch
Parents who are not paid for lost workdays or are out of sick/personal time off

Who makes the decision to close?

The district superintendent is ultimately responsible for making a decision to close (snow-day), delay, release early, or engage in eLearning. In their absence, a designated member of the administrative team makes the decision.

Don't miss out on Emergency Notifications!

Make sure your contact information is always up to date in infinite Campus and that you opt-in to emergency notifications.

Update Family Contact Information

All family members listed in Infinite Campus will receive school and district messages, as well as mass messaging in the case of emergency situations or weather closings.

How to Update about Update Family Contact Information

Opt-in to Text Notifications

in order to receive mass texts in case of weather or other emergencies, you must opt in. Infinite Campus requires this, as not all families have access to unlimited text messaging.

How to Update about Opt-in to Text Notifications

Logo Image

In This Section