SPPS follows state education guidelines that allow districts to offer e-learning days due to inclement weather. The district may call an “e-learning day” if:

• Wind chills are forecasted to be -35 or colder at 6 a.m. OR
• Snow makes it too difficult for our students and staff to get to school

The superintendent also reserves the right to close school due to inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances, if necessary. Students should take their iPads and chargers home every day to be prepared for the possibility of an e-learning day due to weather conditions.

Please note that delayed start times are not logistically possible in Saint Paul Public Schools.

As a district, it is our goal to make decisions on winter weather closings with enough time for families to make arrangements for their student(s) to be home for an e-learning day.

• On an e-learning day, students are learning online with their teachers and classmates on their district iPads.
• Students can expect to meet with their teachers and other students throughout an e-learning day and complete assignments via Seesaw/Schoology.
• Students should take their iPads and chargers home every day to be prepared for the possibility of an e-learning day due to weather conditions.

On e-learning days, Discovery Club will be closed. Varsity athletics games and practices will be decided on a case-by-case basis. All other athletic events and after-school activities will be canceled, with exceptions made on a case-by-case basis.

Other cancelations include:

• After-school programs and extra-curricular activities (Flipside, Extended Day for Learning (EDL), etc.)
• After-school events (field trips, open houses, conferences, etc.)
• Family engagement activities (Parent Academy, Parent Advisory Council meetings, etc.)
• Community Education in-person classes. Online classes will continue as usual.
• Permits held by outside organizations (YMCA, Girl Scouts, tutoring, etc.) for meetings and activities in an SPPS building are canceled. Contact the organizer with questions.

Snow day closures and cancellations:

• Classes and programs at all PreK-12 schools
• Discovery Club
• Early Childhood Special Education
• Early Childhood Family Education
• After-school programs and extra-curricular activities (Extended Day for Learning (EDL), Flipside, field trips, school events, etc.)
• Family Engagement activities (Parent Academy, open house, conferences, etc.)
• Community Education cancellations are decided on an individual basis. Contact your specific program or visit spps.org/commed. 
• Permits held by outside organizations (YMCA, Girl Scouts, tutoring, etc.) for meetings and activities in a school building are canceled. Contact the organizer with questions.

Varsity athletics games and practices will be decided on a case-by-case basis. All other athletic events and after-school activities will be canceled, with exceptions made on a case-by-case basis. 

The National Weather Service uses the Heat Index to guide its issuance of heat-related watches, advisories and warnings.

Weather Terms

• Heat Index - The heat index is how hot it feels to the human body based on both high air temperatures and high humidity levels in the shade.
• Humidity - The measured amount of moisture in the air.
• An Excessive Heat Watch is generally issued by the National Weather Service within 24-72 hours or when hot weather has the potential to occur. The Heat Index could be 100 degrees with an overnight air temperature above 75 degrees. The forecast may still be uncertain.
• A Heat Advisory is generally issued by the National Weather Service within 12 hours or when hot weather is likely to occur. The Heat Index is expected to be 100 degrees or higher for at least 2 days with an overnight air temperature at or above 75 degrees.
• An Excessive Heat Warning is generally issued within 12 hours or when hot weather is certain to occur. The Heat Index will be 105 degrees or higher for at least 2 days with an overnight air temperature above 75 degrees.

This information is based on National Weather Service criteria. The National Weather Service may issue these weather watches, advisories and warnings within a +/- 2 degree difference.

Here is a list of things families can do to keep students cool:

• Dress children in lightweight and light-colored clothing
• School buses are not air conditioned. You may provide a washcloth or neckband that has been cooled with water and stored in a sealable plastic bag. Students can wet the washcloth before getting on their afternoon bus
• Send your child to school with a reusable water bottle with your child’s name (students will be allowed frequent breaks to use a drinking fountain or hydration station)
• If your child has a disability or health condition that gets worse in heat, please notify the school nurse
• If your child has asthma, provide medication to the school nurse
• After school, visit a Ramsey County Cooling Center, such as a library, swimming pool or recreation center
• Parents and guardians have the right to do what’s best for their child. Absences are not automatically excused. Families must follow their school’s procedures for reporting an absence

Although some schools do not have air conditioning, Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) takes extra precautions to help students stay cool and hydrated during hot weather. 

• Schools with partial air-conditioning may identify “cooling areas” for students and staff
• Administrators will direct and deploy available fans to the hottest areas of the building, including for staff working in kitchens equipped with ovens/dishwashers.
• Administrators will use their best judgment on whether to hold recess outside depending on the play area, available shade, etc.
• Students will be allowed more frequent breaks to use drinking fountains and hydration stations (special drinking fountains that allow students and staff to fill reusable water bottles easily with chilled, filtered water)
• All staff may use available fans to provide direct air movement and fresh air as needed
• Staff will direct any child who feels ill to the nurse's office
• Staff will keep their window blinds closed during the day to avoid heat from the sun
• Staff will open windows for additional air circulation
• Community Education will take appropriate steps for individual programs, including:
  • Evaluating the Heat Index indoors to determine whether to cancel a program
  • Evaluating the Heat Index indoors to determine whether a program can be moved to an alternative site