Lawrence Reporter

The decision to cancel school due to road conditions is always difficult. Factors such as the amount of precipitation, dropping temperature, and early morning road conditions are taken into consideration. The decision to call off school must happen before 5:15 a.m. in order to send communications to all parents and staff to prevent the day’s operations from commencing.

The superintendent and the director of transportation drive various bus routes to evaluate road conditions. Additionally, we communicate with area school personnel and monitor weather forecasts. In some situations, the road condition between 4:15 – 5:15 a.m. might be found to be acceptable but can deteriorate rapidly in the early morning hours. Untreated roads can become very slick due to compaction and a drop in temperature.

In this type of situation, we understand that some families may choose not to send their children to school. These absences will be excused as long as the parent notifies the school.

We try to avoid early dismissal from school due to inclement weather. Again, a weather forecast can change quickly. Our goal is to evaluate the situation with the information we have available and then make a decision with student safety at the forefront. In the event we dismiss school early, buses will always run the regular routes at the time of dismissal.

Should it become necessary to close schools due to inclement weather, dangerous road conditions, or other emergency situations, Perry-Lecompton USD #343 will make immediate contact by telephone using the Bright Arrow notification system. Notification calls will have a caller i.d. of (855) 994-4242. If the phone call is not answered, a voicemail will be left.

In order to contact our parents, it is vitally important the school has accurate telephone numbers for each student's family. If you have updated or changed your phone number since enrollment, please contact your child's school to provide updated information.

Additionally, the school district will continue to make announcements through the district's Facebook page and the following broadcast stations:

WIBW - Topeka - TV Channel 13. wibw.com

KSHB - Kansas City - TV Channel 41. kshb.com

WIBW - Topeka - AM 580 & FM 94.5 Country

We recommend staying tuned to one of the stations or websites listed above in order to receive this information in a timely manner.