Inclement Weather

Winter Weather Letter and Alert Updates For 2025/26

Dear Nixa Families,

As we prepare for another winter season, we wanted to make sure that you were prepared.

The decision of whether to not have school in person for the day, call a “Two-Hour Late Start” to school, dismiss school early, or not call off school during inclement weather or other situations is a difficult decision. The decision involves consideration of multiple issues.

When a decision is made we will send out a notification on the ParentSquare (in the notification option you have selected) and a text alert (no phone calls) as well as post it on the homepage of the district website (www.NixaPublicSchools.net). The text alerts will now come from 417-361-5569 or 53291. This is why we practice the 10th at 10 text monthly to make sure you are getting text alerts.

We understand this may mean you get multiple notifications, but we want to make sure you have the best chance at getting the info since technology doesn't always work.

Mobile app notifications will resume in the coming weeks once we get the new district app activated.

For information on how to check your ParentSquare notifications, see the 'ParentSquare Notification Settings' section below.

The alerts will go out prior to 10 p.m. the night before or after 5:00 a.m. if we are not having school in person or will have a late start. We hope these times will serve to inform you while accommodating your schedules. This will be in addition to television, radio, website, Facebook, Instagram, and X announcements. If you do not receive an app notification or text, we do encourage you to check the district website as well as other options. We unfortunately cannot control technology, which is why we post it in multiple locations.

The district will use winter weather days as virtual learning days. This will allow us to not have to make up any days at the end of the school year. If any winter weather day is a “no school” day where no virtual learning will take place, we will indicate that in the announcement.

For virtual learning days, teachers will send home paper packets through 6th grade. The first packet will always be sent home before Thanksgiving break. If you did not receive a packet before Thanksgiving break, contact your child’s teacher.

For the first winter weather virtual day, we will message out a district-wide activity for those in PreK-6th grade.

Nixa Junior High and Nixa High School teachers will post assignments online or communicate with you about the virtual learning plan.

In the event of the school being dismissed early, the notification will go out as soon as the decision has been made so that you have as much time to plan as possible. As is the case when we don’t have school in person, it is, of course, the parents/guardians’ responsibility to make the necessary arrangements for this change of schedule. This responsibility is the same for a late-start day. We encourage you to talk and make plans now so these plans are made ahead of time.

If a late-start decision is made, all buses will run two hours later than their normal Tuesday-Friday schedule regardless of the day, and school will begin two hours later than the normal Tuesday-Friday start time. For example, the high school would start at 9:30 for a two-hour late start, even if the late start was on a Monday. For ELC and ECC late start information, click here.

If you as a parent feel it is unsafe to have your child(ren) attend school in person, please know that decision continues to be yours…one the school district will respect. However, all absences will be recorded. Only verified weather-related absences (areas where our bus routes have been canceled) will be treated as “excused.” This decision (excused/unexcused) will be made by the building principal alone.

In an attempt to provide a service to those who wish to drop off their child(ren) at school on their way to work in the morning of a late-start day, the building principal will have someone near the front door to welcome your child(ren) to school beginning at 7:30 a.m. (grades 5-12) and 8:30 a.m. (grades PreK-4).

We encourage those students that take the bus to continue to do so, especially since it is one of the safest ways of traveling during bad weather. We are also asking parents who typically take their child(ren) to school to continue to do so, just two hours later than normal.

The fundamental purpose of a Two-Hour Late Start is to allow the early morning weather conditions and daylight to improve, thus making travel safer for those we serve.

Questions? Please contact your principal or the district offices. We will be more than happy to discuss this information with you.

Outdoor Recess and Colder Temperatures

With the winter season coming near, we wanted to notify you of our procedure for outdoor recess. Currently, students remain inside when temperatures dip below 25 degrees including wind chill. The U.S. Department of Education states there is no national temperature standard for when to keep kids inside during the winter months. Decisions are made at the local level, either by principals or school districts. In fact, an article in the USA Today showed temperatures ranged from 40 degrees in Southern states to 20 degrees below zero in states such as Minnesota as to when children are brought inside. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Cold weather does not cause colds or flu. But the viruses that cause colds and flu tend to be more common in the winter when children are in school and are in closer contact with each other.”

Encouraging children to get outside, get moving, and connect with the natural world are all ways to reverse childhood obesity rates. But, the benefits don’t stop there. Kids who play outside are happier, healthier, and stronger. According to health experts (Fjortoft 2004; Burdette and Whitaker 2005), children who play outdoors regularly:

Become more fit and lean
Develop stronger immune systems
Have more active imaginations
Have lower stress levels
Play more creatively
Have greater respect for themselves and others

Time spent outdoors is also the best way to get vitamin D. According to the journal Pediatrics, 70% of American kids are not getting enough vitamin D, which can lead to a host of health issues. Time spent outdoors is also shown to reduce myopia (near sightedness) in children (Optometry and Vision Science, 2008).

Outdoor play is not just FUN, it’s good for our kids. Please be sure to dress your children appropriately as the weather continues to get cooler. If your family is in need of appropriate winter clothing, please contact your school’s counselor.

If you have questions, contact your child's principal.

In an effort to be consistent, we will use one central weather service to determine temperature. CLICK HERE for current conditions.

Early Childhood Program Inclement Weather Policy

All programs in the Early Childhood Program adhere to the district’s two hour late start policy. Students may be dropped off for the morning session two hours from their program’s regular start time and will end at the regular end time. For more ELC and ECC late start information, click here.

Transportation may or may not be running for ECSE (including the afternoon session). Please check with Alliance Bus at 724-1555 for bus information. Afternoon classes will be held at their regularly scheduled times.

Questions?

Please call the office at 724-4050.

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