When severe weather conditions arise, the Appleton Area School District follows a well-defined process to determine school closures. Our primary goal is to ensure the safety and well-being of all students.

Early in the morning, our district staff carefully assesses the weather conditions. We thoroughly check the accessibility of all school buildings for both students and staff. 

We also consult with Lamers Bus Lines and Valley Transit to see if buses will be able to travel safely to and from school. We may also consult with the Appleton Department of Public Works and Outagamie County Highway Department as needed.

Every effort will be made to decide whether to close schools by 6:00 a.m. or earlier, and then communicated to all families, local news outlets, and posted on the district’s website and social media.

In case of school start delays or closures, families will be notified via Infinite Campus alerts with robocalls, emails, and text messages, or a combination in an effort to reach all families. Please ensure that your Infinite Campus contact preferences are up to date. 

We will stagger notifications to ensure timeliness while minimizing early-morning disruptions.

• Website and social media posting will be completed as soon as possible
• Email notification as early as possible, starting no earlier than 5:00 a.m.
• Text notification as early as possible, starting no earlier than 5:30 a.m.
• Phone calls at 5:45 a.m., to allow enough time for 10,000+ calls to be completed by shortly after 6:00 a.m.

A note about robocalls: We serve more than 15,000 students and our call-out system cannot call all of our families at the same time. It may take a few minutes to reach your family after the notification is sent. For that reason, we also post to our website and social media accounts as soon as we know the District will delay or close for the day.

On days when the weather is questionable, families can always check the District website or their school's website for an alert. The District’s social media will also be updated. Families can also listen to any local radio station or watch many local television stations for information about school closings.

Updates for the 2024-2025 School Year: As of October 1, 2024, the National Weather Service in Wisconsin has updated cold weather advisories, replacing the term "wind chill" with "cold" to enhance clarity and communication during dangerously low temperatures.

Wind chill measurements will still be used. These advisories will now focus on apparent temperature—whether it’s the actual air temperature or the wind chill factor, as cold is cold. Apparent temperature reflects the air temperature when there’s no wind or the wind chill temperature when wind is present.

The updated alerts are defined as follows:

• Cold Weather Advisory (formerly Wind Chill Advisory): Issued when air temperatures or wind chills drop below -20°F for northeast Wisconsin
• Extreme Cold Watch (formerly Wind Chill Watch): Issued when it is possible for air temperatures or wind chills, with or without wind,  to drop below -30°F for northeast Wisconsin 
• Extreme Cold Warning (formerly Wind Chill Warning): Issued when dangerously cold air, -30°F or lower, with or without wind, is expected for northeastern Wisconsin.

We will follow this new guidance when determining cold-related delays or school closures.

If the National Weather Service issues an Extreme Cold Warning for the Appleton area that extends through the hour before the school day begins, we will decide whether to close schools.

Due to the typically short-term nature of these warnings, this decision will likely be made on the morning of the affected day.

The Appleton Area School District will use the chart below to ensure consistent guidelines across all schools regarding outdoor safety for students. Schools may adjust decisions based on local conditions and what they consider appropriate for the situation.

The dark blue zone indicates dangerous conditions, and students should remain indoors when temperatures reach this range. The light blue zone represents safe conditions for outdoor activities, while the green zone is also safe but may be subject to a Cold Weather Advisory if temperatures drop below -20°F.

The dark blue area indicates that we may be under an Extreme Cold Watch (previously called a Wind Chill Watch) if there is a possibility of dangerously cold temperatures or wind chills dropping below -30°F in northeast Wisconsin. Alternatively, an Extreme Cold Warning (formerly a Wind Chill Warning) may be issued when dangerously cold conditions, reaching -30°F or lower with or without wind, are expected.

On days when the decision is made to implement a two-hour delay, the following procedures will take place:

• All morning 4K, Early Childhood, and Title I Preschool classes would be canceled
• Elementary School Start Time: 10:27 a.m.
• Middle School Start Time: 9:50 a.m.
• High School Start Times: 9:55 a.m.

Note: Some charter schools or programs start at a different time than what is listed above.

When our schools are closed, it also means that all activities scheduled in school buildings for that day are canceled. This includes all AASD programs and all after-school programs.

Should weather conditions improve dramatically during the course of the day, high school co-curricular activities may be held. An announcement through local media and our website will communicate that information.

In many of our families, adults work outside the home and they have no childcare arrangements available before the end of the school day.

However, if your schedule allows and if you feel your child(ren) will be safer at home, you can pick your child(ren) up before the end of the school day.

If you choose to do so, go to the school office and request that your child(ren) be dismissed to you.

If you have a question about whether schools or a particular school will be closed for reasons other than severe weather, go to the district’s website or social media for an announcement.