Closings and Cancellations

In the event that the NNPS web site is disabled, a BACKUP site with emergency information and notices can be accessed at http://tinyurl.com/nnschools. Please add this to your bookmarks.

For detailed information about how to stay safe during an emergency, please visit www.ReadyVirginia.gov (www.ListoVirginia.gov en español). Information about what Virginia is doing to prepare for current storms is available at www.vaemergency.com.

When bad weather is forecast, transportation staff members begin checking streets at 4 a.m. to determine safety conditions. City police, city emergency operations staff and local meteorologists may be contacted for additional information. The superintendent makes the decision to either delay the opening of school, close schools early or cancel school. The school division strives to have a decision by 6 a.m. so that local television and radio stations (see list to the right) can broadcast the information. Please call the information number prior to calling schools.

If the opening of school is delayed

HALF-DAY PROGRAMS:
MORNING Half-Day programs will not be held when there is a delayed opening. AFTERNOON Half-Day PEEP classes WILL be held if the opening of school is delayed on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday. Breakfast is not served; however, lunch is.

WEDNESDAY DELAYED OPENINGS:
When the opening of school is delayed on a Wednesday both MORNING and AFTERNOON Half-day PEEP classes WILL NOT BE HELD.

FULL-DAY PROGRAMS:
If school is delayed one hour, parents should make sure children are at the bus stop one hour after their regular time; if school is delayed two hours, then they should be at the stop two hours after the normal time.

GED SESSIONS AT JACKSON LEARNING CENTER:
GED Session I (morning) at Jackson Learning Center will not be held. GED Session 2 (afternoon) is to report as usual.

When schools close early

If school is scheduled to close an hour early, children should arrive home an hour earlier than they normally do. Early in the school year, parents are asked to make arrangements in the event that school is dismissed before the end of the regular school day.

If the child is to go to a residence other than his or her own, parents will be asked to make the school aware of this arrangement. Please discuss what to do with your child if no one is home when schools are dismissed early.

When schools close early due to inclement weather, all athletic events and after-school activities are canceled and will be rescheduled. Team practices may be held if approved by the building principal with appropriate authorization from administration. These practices would be voluntary as no required practices can be called. The superintendent will determine whether a district, regional or state championship will be held.

Please remember that there are no activity buses when schools are closed or close early.

If students are en route or at school...

If schools close while students are being brought to school, the school division will notify schools and the media, and bus drivers will return the students to their bus stops. Students may be returned to school if roads to the bus stop are blocked.

If schools have to be closed after classes have started, a dismissal schedule will be announced and the school division will alert the media and update telephone recordings. Pre-kindergartners and kindergartners must be met by an adult at the bus stop or they will be returned to school.

School Age Program (SAP)

The Newport News Parks and Recreation morning School Age Program (SAP) will open on the same delay as schools and operate until school opening. If schools open on a two-hour delay, then the school-age program will open at 8:50 a.m. instead of 6:50 a.m.

Please note that children must be registered before they can attend the SAP. For more information about the School Age Program, call 926-1400.

SAP morning locations are at BC Charles, Denbigh Early Childhood Center, Deer Park, Nelson, Greenwood, Riverside, Hilton, Kiln Creek, Palmer, Richneck, Sanford, Saunders, South Morrison, and Yates.

If it is announced during the day that schools are closing early, all afternoon school age program centers will open; however, parents must pick their child up before 5:30 p.m. Afternoon centers are at Charles, Denbigh Early Childhood Center, Deer Park, Epes, Greenwood, Hidenwood, Hilton, Jenkins, Kiln Creek, McIntosh, Palmer, Sanford, Saunders, South Morrison and Yates elementary schools. Buses will bring middle school participants to the afternoon SAP teen program at the Midtown Community Center.

If school is closed for a full day, the School Age Program will operate a consolidated program at the Brittingham Midtown Community Center from 8:50 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

PLEASE NOTE: If Newport News City Hall is closed because of bad weather, all school age programs will be closed.

A Guide for NNPS Employees and Families

Ten and Eleven-Month Personnel

Delayed Opening

1. The reporting time for ten and eleven month employees (except cafeteria and key transportation personnel) is adjusted by the same number of hours as the student reporting time.
2. Cafeteria personnel report as soon as possible in order to prepare lunch. Breakfast is not served on days of delayed openings.
3. Morning half-day programs will not be held when there is a delayed opening.
4. Afternoon half-day programs at Denbigh ECC and Gatewood PEEP will be held if the opening of school is delayed on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday.
5. When the opening of school is delayed on a Wednesday both morning and afternoon half-day pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and PEEP classes will not be held. Elementary students will be dismissed at the same time of the regular early dismissal schedule on Wednesdays.

School Cancellation

1. If school is canceled, all schools shall be closed for the day.
2. Ten and eleven month employees do not report to work unless the Superintendent deems it necessary to use the day as a make-up teacher work day in order to avoid weekend or holiday make-up workdays.

Early Dismissal

Unless otherwise directed, the dismissal time for ten and eleven month employees (except cafeteria, transportation, custodial, clerical and administrative personnel) is adjusted by the same number of hours that students are dismissed early.
 

Twelve-Month Personnel

Delayed Opening

All twelve-month personnel (other than custodial, transportation, and plant services personnel) are to report to work as soon as reasonably possible given the conditions at the time.

School Cancellation

1. When schools are closed all offices are open unless the closing of offices is specified.
2. All twelve-month employees report unless otherwise specified

Early Dismissal

In the event of early dismissal of students, twelve-month employees and all cafeteria, custodial, transportation, clerical and administrative personnel will work their regular schedule unless otherwise notified by their supervisor.
 

Custodial, Transportation and Plant Services Personnel

Twelve-month day custodial, transportation and Plant Services personnel will report at the regular
time if other twelve-month day personnel are to report at any time during the day. They will then
be provided appropriate compensatory time based on the number of reduced hours for other
twelve-month day employees.

Twelve-month night custodians, transportation night monitors, and Plant Services night shift will
report at noon if students are not in school and at their regular time if students are in school.
 

Emergency Closing of a Single School or a Small Group of Schools

1. The Division Superintendent or designee will make the decision to approve the closing of an individual school or a small group of schools, which may be necessitated due to local emergency conditions. Executive directors and principals will contact Transportation to make the necessary arrangements to take the students home. Principals of elementary schools shall make every effort to contact parents and shall make arrangements to provide for children who do not have emergency care. Schools should indicate the emergency closing location or pairing of schools for emergencies in their emergency operations plans (i.e. emergency that occurs in route to school).

2. School employees will be assigned as needed to facilitate the alternate arrangements.