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Superintendent Sandra Wood explains La Porte's weather-delay process and e-learning limits
Summary
In a district video, Superintendent Sandra Wood outlined how a 4–5 person team drives district roads at about 4:00 a.m., aims to notify families by 5:15 a.m., and will use the three state-authorized posted e-learning days before making up additional closures in person.
In the first installment of the district's new "In Focus" video series, Superintendent Sandra Wood explained how La Porte Community Schools decides weather-related delays and cancellations and how the district will use limited e-learning days.
Wood said a team of "4 to 5 people" monitors forecasts and, on questionable mornings, "heads out on the roads at about 04:00 in the morning" to check for fog, ice and other road hazards before making recommendations.
"Once they make a determination, the team discusses together, and we all work together to decide on the safest plan for staff and students," Wood said. "Our goal is always to try to make a decision and get the communication out to our families and staff by 05:15 in the morning." She said early notification is important because the district covers a wide area with long bus routes.
Wood described the district's approach to missed days: the first three cancellations will be "posted e-learning days," when an assignment is posted online and teachers are available during specific office hours. She told viewers that "Back in 2022, the Indiana Department of Education passed a new law that states that schools can only conduct up to 3 posted e learning days per school year."
After those three posted e-learning days, state rules require that any additional e-learning include live instruction, such as a Zoom call or Google Meet, so teachers and students can interact. Wood said La Porte Community Schools intends to use the three posted e-learning days and will make up any additional cancellations in person at the end of the school year. She added that full cancellations remain "traditional snow day[s]" and that live online instruction would be reserved "only as a last resort" in extreme circumstances to maintain academic continuity.
The superintendent directed families to the district website for more details about the two types of closings and cancellations, and for specific guidance on assignments and teacher office hours.
