This story was written in response to a reader question submitted through our Open Source platform. Reader Kyla Bourne asked if we would be publishing school closings this year. Do you have a question you want our reporters to answer?
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The temperature recently took a turn toward chilly, and naturally that has led parents, students, and school administrators to begin pondering the impending potential of school closings.
In years past, Ashland Source has been an active participant in trying to make this information available to our readers in as timely a manner as possible.
Most often this meant a reporter getting up at 4:30 a.m., monitoring email, checking school websites, etc.
However, schools have now become much more efficient at providing that message directly to students and their parents via text alerts. In fact, schools are so efficient at this task, readers rarely come to us for this information.
So, we’re going to bow out of this particular endeavor going forward.
However, we do want to make the information available to readers that is most pertinent to them. So, if you’re not already registered, here’s how best to receive school closing information in your district.
Ashland City Schools: Parents will receive calls or texts from the district’s All Call system when there’s a closing or delay. Ashland also publishes closings on radio, TV, social media, the district’s app, and the district’s website.
Ashland St. Edward School District: The school’s principal notifies WKYC, but the school also sends alerts to parents through its web-based communications program. For more information, call 419-289-7456.Â
Ashland County West Holmes Career Center: The center calls parents when there is a closing or delay. They also publish it on their website, on WNCO, WKVX, WKLM, WKYC, WEWS, Fox 8, and channels 19 and 43.Â
Black River Local Schools: Call the district at 419-736-3300 to get signed up for its One Call system.Â
Crestview Local Schools: The primary source for closings, delays and other district announcements comes through School Messenger, a service enacted through enrollment. Other options include calling the district at 419-895-1700, visiting the website or signing up for text alerts through WMFD.Â
Dale Roy Schools: Parents will receive texts from the district’s communication system. They also publish closings on Channels 3, 5, and 8, and on Dale Roy’s website.
Hillsdale Local Schools: Parents of students at Hillsdale can receive notices on delays and closings from the district’s One Call system. Hillsdale also publishes its closings and delays on WMFD, WQKT, WNCO, and channels 3, 5, and 8 on TV.
Mapleton Local Schools: Parents of students can receive texts and calls from the district’s alert system when there’s a closing. The district also publishes closing information on WNCO, Channel 3 I-Alert, Fox 8, Channel 5, WOIO, Cleveland 19, WMFD, and MVNO.Â
Loudonville School District: The school district uses a system that sends texts to parents. Parents can enroll as part of the district’s registration process. For more information, call 419-994-3912. District officials also notify TV news stations, such as Fox 8, News 5 and WMFD and update the district’s various social media pages.
New London School District: The district uses the One-Call system, which allows parents to enroll as part of the district’s registration process. For more information, call the district at 419-929-1586.
Northwestern Local Schools: The district uses an app called WENS Connect to notify parents of delays or closings. Instructions to sign up for the app are available here.
South Central School District: call the district at 419-752-3815 for more information.
For those interested in seeing what other school districts are closing, WMFD, WMAN and WQIO have traditionally provided this service to the public for free as well.
