Dear Buck Families,

The decision to close school due to inclement weather is not easy. We know that students should attend school, but we also know that we can not control the weather and our priority is the safety of our students and staff.

In the event of inclement weather, one of the following options will be implemented:

School Canceled/Closed - All school buildings will be closed. Evening activities will be determined separately based on if the weather improves.

2-Hour Delay - All schools will start 2 hours later than the normal times. This will be determined based on the premise that the weather conditions are predicted to improve. Evening activities will move forward as planned.

2-Hour Delay Start times:

Buchanan High School

9:40 am - 2:40 pm

Buchanan Middle School

9:30 am - 2:25 pm

Moccasin Elementary School

10:45 am - 3:48 pm

Ottawa Elementary School

10:40 am - 3:43 pm

Early Dismissal - If inclement weather conditions develop during the school day, it may be necessary to dismiss students early. We will do our best to notify parents immediately after making a decision.

When schools are dismissed early for inclement weather, all school and community-sponsored after-school and evening activities in schools will be canceled.

Weekends and Holidays - If inclement weather is on weekends or holidays, all school facilities will be closed, and any school or community-sponsored activities will be canceled.

Inclement Weather FAQs

How are parents and staff notified of a school closing?

In times of emergencies/school closings, information will be shared with the parents and community through the following:

• Post on Buchanan Community Schools Website

• Post on Buchanan Community Schools Facebook page

• Automated robocalls to parents

• Emails and text messages to parents

• Local news stations

Who decides to close school?

The Superintendent decides to close school based on the factors below.

How do we decide to close school?

• Information on current road conditions from our transportation and maintenance staff, who monitor the roads throughout the night and into the morning

• Current weather conditions and predicted weather conditions

• Amount of snow and ice accumulation

• Duration and timing of the snow or ice

• Temperature and wind chill (We use a -20 air temperature and/or wind chill for a sustained amount of time as a guide).

• School building conditions (electricity, heat, water)

• School parking lot and sidewalk conditions

• Operation of buses and the ability to travel on snow-covered or icy roads

• Consultation with neighboring school districts and other officials

When do we decide to close school?

The decision as to whether or not to close school is usually made in the early morning hours due to changing weather conditions or forecasts. We also need time for the maintenance staff to clear parking lots and sidewalks and sufficient time for the transportation staff to travel the routes safely.

The alerting of a school closure will go out as soon as we decide in order to give families as much notice as possible. We try to make the decision by 5:30 am and inform families soon after. In the event the decision is made later and buses have already picked up some students we will contact families and return students home safely.

Are there snow days built into the calendar?

The district does not build snow days into the calendar, but Michigan allows up to six days for emergency closings.

Parent Decision

Remember, the District will make the best decision based on the current information to determine if schools will close or remain open.

While we do our best to monitor conditions throughout the cities in our district boundaries, we cannot evaluate every road or side street. Parents always have the right to decide in the best interest of their children and families. If you feel that it is not safe for your child to attend school, you always have the option to keep your child at home.

How you can help

Make sure you have an up-to-date phone number and email on file. Make sure to check social media, our website, the news channels, and email.

Educationally yours,

Patricia L. Robinson

Superintendent of Buchanan Community Schools

Hello Buck Families,

With the arrival of winter weather, we want to remind families of a few procedures to help keep students and drivers safe. Students must be ready to board the bus when it arrives. Students should not be inside the house or waiting in a vehicle. Stop times may vary without notice due to road conditions and other variables outside our control.

While riding the bus, students need to be on their best behavior so the driver can concentrate on driving. Students should board the bus, find their seats quickly, treat other riders with respect, use appropriate language, keep their voice level down, remain seated, and follow directions given by the bus driver.

Getting students to and from school safely is our number one priority and we thank you and your students for your cooperation.

Thank you, BCS Transportation Department.

The Excllence in Education Award was created to honor persons who have played a vital role in educating and supporting students with disabilities. You may nominate persons deserving of this prestigious award who have gone "above and beyone the call of duty" to contribute to the success of the students they serve.

Nominations must be received no later than December 18, 2024. Please click the link below that will take you to the nomination form.

Here are 10 Cold Weather Safety Tips to Protect Children:

1. Layer up! Bitter cold and snow can cause frostbite. Dress your child in several layers, and make sure their head, neck and hands are covered. Dress babies and young children in one more layer than an adult would wear.
2. Play it safe. Even when roads are closed to traffic, it’s not safe to play or sled in the street. Visibility may be limited due to snowbanks and ice on the roads makes braking difficult.
3. Beware of clothing hazards. Scarves and hood strings can strangle smaller children so use other clothing to keep them warm.
4. Check in on warmth. Before kids head outside, tell them to come inside if they get wet or if they’re cold. Then keep watching them and checking in. They may want to continue playing outside even if they are wet or cold.
5. Use sunscreen. Children and adults can still get sunburned in the winter. Sun can reflect off the snow, so apply sunscreen to exposed areas.
6. Use caution around fires. Wood-burning stoves, fireplaces and outdoor fire-pits are cozy but can present danger – especially to small children. Use caution and put up protective gates when possible. If you’ve lost power or heat and are alternative heating methods like kerosene or electric heaters, be sure smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are working.
7. Get trained and equipped. Children should wear helmets when snowboarding, skiing, sledding or playing ice hockey. And to avoid injuries, teach children how to do the activity safely.
8. Prevent nosebleeds. If your child suffers from minor winter nosebleeds, use a cold-air humidifier in their room. Saline nose drops can help keep their nose moist.
9. Keep them hydrated. In drier winter air kids lose more water through their breath. Offer plenty of water, and try giving them warm drinks and soup for extra appeal.
10. Watch for danger signs. Signs of frostbite are pale, grey or blistered skin on the fingers, ears, nose, and toes. If you think your child has frostbite bring the child indoors and put the affected area in warm (not hot) water. Signs of hypothermia are shivering, slurred speech, and unusual clumsiness. If you think your child has hypothermia call 9-1-1 immediately.

Ottawa Elementary
Moccasin Elementary

Buchanan Middle School

Buchanan High School

We pledge our best efforts to make Buchanan Community Schools a premier school district, and we strive to create safe, welcoming, engaging, and innovative schools that develop all students’ academic, athletic, artistic, and social growth. We take pride in our community and we appreciate the support of our stakeholders! Thank you!

But we do realize that sometimes something might not go right, or you might have a question about what we do or how we do it. We welcome that communication, and we will work to solve your issue for you as efficiently as we can.

In order to do that, we ask that you follow our Chain of Command process shown in the diagram. On the left side of the process chart, you will see the common areas of district programming, and then following to the right would be the next step(s) in the Chain of Command for that district program area. Please start by contacting the staff member listed in the second box of each program area. The contact information for our leadership staff members with responsibility for addressing concerns is listed at the top of the diagram. Other contact information for building staff is available on our website in the “Staff Directory” section of each building’s web page. It is expected that most issues should be able to be resolved at these initial steps in the Chain of Command.

Buchanan Community Schools is a school district located in Buchanan, Michigan. In 2020, Buchanan was named the Nicest City in America and is known for its community concerts and parades. Buchanan Community Schools has over 1500 students and over 200 employees. The school district has four schools based on grade bands, Ottawa- PreK-1, Moccasin-2-4, Buchanan Middle School 5-7, and Buchanan High School 8-12.

Email: probinson@buchananschools.com
Website: https://www.buchananschools.com/
Location: 401 West Chicago Street, Buchanan, MI, USA
Phone: 269-695-8401
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065665262514

To develop responsible, resilient, creative citizens capable of succeeding in a global society.