Any decision to close schools is made by the superintendent in consideration for the safety of our students.
During an emergency, extreme weather, power outage or similar incident, the school district will strive to communicate quickly and effectively with parents, students, staff and the community.
In some cases, we must wait to receive information from official sources, including the RCMP and other authoritative organizations, to ensure that we communicate the most accurate and up-to-date information. We will communicate status updates based on the confirmed information that we have at the time.
School Status During Extreme Weather
Decisions about school closures due to extreme weather (for example a significant snowfall) will almost always be made by the superintendent in the early morning. This information will be communicated as soon as possible, generally before 7 a.m.
Even if schools are open, School District No. 83 (North Okanagan-Shuswap) and our schools, respect and support parents if they feel that it is unsafe to send their child to school or wish to pick-up their child early due to potentially unsafe weather conditions. If you choose to keep your child home, please be sure to report your child’s absence to the school.
How to Get Information
In most instances, no announcement will be made that schools are open; only cancellations, closures or delayed school openings will be announced.
- Information will be posted on the school district’s website home page. This is the official primary source of information.
- You can follow the district’s official social media accounts including our Facebook and Twitter (@sd83schools) accounts.
- Listen to the radio or check local media news. We will share closure information with local media.