Dear LPS Parents, Staff and Key Communicators:

Colorado weather can be unpredictable and this morning’s snow is evidence of that. I want to take this opportunity to share with you some insight into how weather-related decisions are made on days like today. We work hard to make decisions in the best interests of all LPS students. We think about our students of all ages who walk, ride a bus or drive themselves to school, and we remember that many of our students travel from other districts to attend our schools. We also take into account the hardship a school cancellation places on our families who need childcare and may depend on a hot meal at school.  

The decision whether or not to cancel school is complex and never taken lightly. The process begins the night before, as staff consult with private weather forecasting services, CDOT and law enforcement agencies throughout the night. LPS operations and transportation personnel drive district roads in the early morning before decisions are made. Denver metro area superintendents discuss conditions impacting school districts across the area and coordinate decision-making whenever it is appropriate to do so. Today, based on all the information we had available to us, no public school districts in the metro area were delayed or cancelled.

While we cannot anticipate the exact outcome of every storm and resulting road conditions, we care deeply about every student’s well being. This morning was a perfect example of the front range forecast catching all school districts off guard. Weather forecasts were calling for one or two inches of total snow for the day in our area, with snow ending by mid morning. The forecast changed around 6:30 a.m., which is too late for LPS to cancel school or schedule a delayed start. By that time, some bus routes are already in progress and some parents have already left for work, relying on LPS to have school. We ended up getting significantly more snow than was forecast and traffic was significantly impacted.

We understand that not everyone agrees with decisions related to weather delays or closures. Despite our best efforts, sometimes our decisions do not play out how we would like. Parents always have the right and the responsibility to do what is best for their children, and our schools respect those decisions. The option to bring children to school late or keep children home when weather conditions are extreme is always at the parents' discretion.

Thank you for your support and your patience!

Sincerely,

Brian Ewert
Superintendent
Littleton Public Schools