School Closing Information

School Closing - We try to make this decision before 6:00 a.m. and will have information posted on the District Website by 6:15 a.m. 

If time and conditions permit, we will also contact radio and television stations and make an automated phone call to your home.

You can assist us in making these procedures effective by following these guidelines:

• Refer to the main page of the district website. Additional closing information may be attained by clicking on the announcement icon.
• Please do not call the school. When you call, telephone lines are not available for critical communication to radio stations and between school personnel.
• Please do not call to release students to ride home with other drivers.
• Please have alternate plans in place in the event of school closing early due to inclement weather or in the rare event that students are released early from school.
• If the decision is made that school will remain open and parents feel it is unsafe to send a student to school, they have the right and responsibility to keep the child home. In this case, please call the district's absence line at 330.854.5709 to notify us of the absence. 
• Always assume school is open unless you hear otherwise.
• Do not confuse Northwest Local School (Stark County) with Northwestern (Wayne County)

Administrators in the Northwest Local Schools feel it is important to stay open, but we also feel it is essential to keep our children safe.

Factors to consider in closing school weather:

1. Weather forecast for the day

2. Building conditions (heat, phones, lights)

3. Conditions of school parking lots and sidewalks

4. Condition of bus fleet 5. Conditions of main roads

6. Condition of back roads

7. Road crew response to the weather

8. Temperature

9. Visibility on roadways

10. Availability of staff

11. Emergency alerts

12. Condition and visibility of bus stops

13. Northwest School buses collectively drive 890 miles each day.

The Northwest Local School District will not implement delayed starting times for threatening weather. If extreme weather conditions exist, school will be closed for the day.

Feel free to contact your building principal if you have any questions.