Dear CFISD Community,

As many of you are aware, we have some extremely cold weather moving into the area this weekend. I take weather calls very seriously; there are three decisions I don’t enjoy in my role:

• boundary changes;
• weather calls; and
• budget cuts.

As such, I rely on a multitude of information and a lot of preparation. CFISD has detailed procedures in place for potential cancellations that will assist my decision-making process to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Here is a brief overview of what that entails.

1. We have been watching models and receiving weather updates from local weather experts since last weekend. The latest model suggests the arctic blast may arrive Saturday night—so please have your personal prep done a little sooner, just in case.
   
   
2. As a reminder, Monday, Jan.15 is a CFISD holiday. Leadership has reviewed all possibilities for Tuesday, Jan.16, when we are set to return. We have a plan to check the roads personally. I can tell you that if the weather is not certain, several team members and I will be up late at night and early in the morning to assess that road conditions are safe for staff to arrive as well as to transport students. While weather stations report general area conditions, there is nothing like having eyes on the ground to see what is really going on in our community. I plan to drive the roads, as I have been doing since I was in little Poteet ISD (approximately 1,600 students). I am happy to say that police, transportation, and operations staff personally checking the roads is a practice here, too, because we love our staff and kids.
   
   
3. Some think we should close schools “just in case,” or say that we don’t make the call early enough, or they need us to open for a variety of reasons. Many of our families rely on us for more than just education; it’s also childcare so they may go to work, or perhaps the warmth and food our schools provide. So, closing “just in case” can hurt people, too, when it’s not founded.
   
   
4. We also know staffing a campus properly is critical to a successful school day. Some of our folks travel from surrounding districts, so a neighboring district closing can impact our staffing ability when they do not have childcare.

Finally, CFISD utilizes SchoolMessenger as the district’s mass notification system for campus and district emergencies (such as school closures related to weather). Emergency communication may be by email, phone call or text message.  It is critical that you update your contact information at your child(ren)’s campus when you have changes.  Additionally, to opt in to receive text messages from CFISD, please text Y to 67587 from your cell phone. Parents are also encouraged to monitor the district website (www.cfisd.net), social media, and television or radio stations.

Please know that I will be in constant communication with local meteorologists and other school district superintendents.  I care deeply about each and every one of you and will be watching and stressing over making the right decision.

In the best interest of children,

Doug Killian, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools