LAPS News:
As fall turns to winter, we can anticipate some days when the weather will be a challenge because of ice or snow. There will be days that we either cancel school for the entire day or delay the start of the school day by two hours.
The decision about the status of the school day must be made by 5:30 a.m. so everyone who needs to be notified can get information in a timely manner.
When a decision to cancel, delay or dismiss school early is made, all of the major network television stations and local media will be contacted. Information about the decision will be posted in a trailer that runs along the bottom of the TV screen. This information will also be available on the District website at https:////laschools.net and through E-Alerts. Schools will also place the information on their information line and the district information line at 663.2223.
Parents and staff wishing to receive E-Alerts are encouraged to register on the District’s website using the E-Alert button in the upper right corner of the district homepage. School status information will be sent as E-Alert notifications by email and text messages to those who have subscribed to E-Alerts. For instructions on how to subscribe to E-Alerts visit https:////laschools.net/e-alerts.
The school district is in contact with and coordinates school cancellations, delays or early dismissals with Los Alamos National Laboratory and Los Alamos County. When a decision is made to delay the start of the school day, instructional staff should report to work by 9:30 a.m. to accommodate parents dropping off students on their way to work. Students may begin arriving before10:00 A.M. on delayed start days. Classes will begin on a two hour delay from the normal start time of school. As an example, the normal start time for Aspen Elementary is 8:20 a.m. On a delayed start day, actual instructional time for students would begin at 10:20 a.m.
Weather in the mountains is difficult to predict. Because a decision must be made at least two and a half hours before the start of school, there will probably be times when we cancel, delay or dismiss school early and the weather clears. Similarly there will be times when we have school and the weather gets worse. We will monitor the weather conditions throughout the day, and, in rare cases, we may need to dismiss school early.
When there is a two-hour snow delay on a Wednesday, there will be no classes for students at all elementary schools. YMCA after school programs will go on as scheduled at approximately noon. After school activities that are regularly scheduled on Wednesday afternoons will take place as usual. When a two-hour delay is announced by local media, it will say for all Los Alamos Public Schools. Parents will need to remember that in the case of elementary schools, there will be no classes on Wednesday.
In the event school is cancelled for the day, all after school activities including YMCA after school programs will be cancelled.
When there is a two-hour snow delay, morning Pre-School is cancelled but the afternoon Pre-School will meet as usual.
People who live in Los Alamos come from many different areas of the world. They will have different levels of tolerance for dealing with adverse weather conditions. Ultimately, the final decision is made by parents on whether it is perceived to be safe to send their student to school. Thank you for your understanding.
School Information Lines:
- District Office 663.2223
- Aspen Elementary 663.2277
- Barranca Mesa Elementary 663.2732
- Chamisa Elementary 663.2472
- Mountain Elementary 663.2327
- Pinon Elementary 663.2682
- Los Alamos Middle School 663.2377
- Los Alamos High School 663.2512