School districts brace for snow

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Wintery weather can cause big headaches for area school districts. Most are already preparing for the possibility of snow Friday.

Austin Independent School District said classes and buses will run as normally scheduled. Since snow is expected, - not ice - bus drivers will drive with extra caution. AISD's emergency manager said they are being told to treat Friday morning roads like a wet, rainy day. 

AISD starts discussing their winter weather game plan days in advance of inclement weather. AISD met with the City of Austin, other school districts and local meteorologists. They will watch current conditions and forecasts into the early morning hours.

"Around midnight, 2 a.m., we're having those ongoing discussions about what's happening with the weather," said Will O'Neill, Emergency Management Coordinator for AISD. "Our decision point is usually around 4 a.m."

Alerts go to the media and the district's Web site. Changes to that system will allow for faster access to the changes for parents. In January, a new messaging system will be put in place.

"It's a text, voice and e-mail based system," said O'Neill. "So we'll have the capacity to actually reach out in a number of different ways to parents."

Angie Weston has a second-grader at Campbell Elementary School in East Austin. She does not think actual snow will fall come Friday morning. But if it does, she said schools do a good job at keeping parents informed.

"They'll call you for absolutely anything," said Weston. "Also, they have a really good Web site. So, anytime there's anything, you can just go to the Web site."

Parents in the Lake Travis Independent School District received an e-mail Wednesday, saying classes and buses will run normally. Extracurricular activities, including the playoff football game in San Marcos, are not canceled. However, on Thursday afternoon, LTISD sent out an e-mail to parents saying that the school would have early dismissal on Friday.

Leander ISD is planning for a normal school day Friday. School officials are monitoring the weather situation so the best way to track any weather related delays, early dismissals or cancellations is through their Web site.

Bastrop ISD is also watching the weather situation closely. Any changes to a normal school day will hit TVs and radios. After school activities might also be threatened. The district says to check with your child’s coach or advisor for canceled or reschedule events. You can also check Bastrop ISD's Web site.

As always, KXAN.com will also post any school closings once they are announced. Just keep checking KXAN.com for more updates as well.