Now that colder weather has arrived, leaders of Cumberland County Schools say the district is prepared for freezing temperatures, snow, and hazardous road conditions.
The district’s efforts include coordination among transportation, maintenance, and school leadership teams, along with local emergency management officials and the National Weather Service.
District procedures are reviewed regularly and remain consistent from year to year.
According to Cumberland County Schools, winter weather preparations include:
- Route planning: The transportation department reviews bus routes to identify high-risk areas such as hills, bridges, sharp curves, rural roads and shaded locations prone to icing. Safer detours or shortened routes are planned in advance if conditions become unsafe.
- Bus readiness: Buses undergo routine winter inspections in which crews check the brakes, tires, heaters, defrosters, batteries, lights, and door seals. Workers also monitor antifreeze levels and windshield washer fluid rated for freezing temperatures. Sometimes they start buses’ engines earlier to ensure proper warm-up.
- Driver preparation: Drivers are reminded of procedures for reporting hazardous road conditions or unsafe travel concerns.
- Facilities monitoring: Maintenance and custodial teams monitor school buildings during winter weather and respond to heating issues or weather-related damage. Facilities are assessed after weather events to ensure campuses are safe before students and staff return.
- Weather decisions: District leaders evaluate forecasts, road conditions, and visibility in consultation with transportation staff, local law enforcement, and emergency officials. The superintendent may delay, adjust or cancel school in accordance with school board policy.
- Communication: Families and staff are notified of delays or closures through ParentLink phone messages, the CCS website, social media channels, and local media. If no notification is sent, schools are operating on a normal schedule.
- Instructional plans: When weather affects the school calendar, CCS follows state requirements and local board policy to determine whether instructional time will be adjusted. State law allows districts to use up to five remote instruction days, or 30 total hours of remote instruction, during severe weather events.
The district also provides a weather protocol resource for families on its website, outlining how decisions about delays, closures, and early dismissals are made, how notifications are issued and how changes may affect after-school activities.
To contact education reporter Dasia Williams, email dwilliams@cityviewnc.com.
