School Status: NORMAL
All school operations are running as normal. All campuses are open, and classes, transportation, and school activities are proceeding on their regular schedules. We will provide updates here if there are any changes.
HOLD
In Your Classroom or Area
Students are trained to:
● Clear the hallways and remain in their area or room until the “All Clear” is announced
● Do business as usual
Adults and staff are trained to:
● Close and lock the door
● Account for students and adults
● Do business as usual
SECURE
Get Inside. Lock Outside Doors
Students are trained to:
● Return to inside of building
● Do business as usual
Adults and staff are trained to:
● Bring everyone indoors
● Lock the outside doors
● Increase situational awareness
● Account for students and adults
● Do business as usual
LOCKDOWN
Locks, Light, Out of Sight
Students are trained to:
● Move away from sight
● Maintain silence
● Do not open the door
Adults and staff are trained to:
● Recover students from hallway if possible
● Lock the classroom door
● Turn out the lights
● Move away from sight
● Maintain silence
● Do not open the door
● Prepare to evade or defend
EVACUATE
To a Location
Students are trained to:
● Leave stuff behind if required to
● If possible, bring their phone
● Follow instructions
Adults and staff are trained to:
● Bring roll sheet and Go Bag (unless instructed not
to bring anything with them, dependent on reason
for evacuation.)
● Lead students to Evacuation location
● Account for students and adults
● Report injuries or problems using Red Card/Green
Card method.
SHELTER
State Hazard & Safety Strategy
Hazards might include:
● Tornado
● Hazmat
● Earthquake
● Tsunami
Safety Strategies might include:
● Evacuate to shelter area
● Seal the room
● Drop, cover and hold
● Get to high ground
Students are trained in:
● Appropriate Hazards and Safety Strategies
Adults and staff are trained in:
● Appropriate Hazards and Safety Strategies
● Accounting for students and adults
● Report injuries or problems using Red Card/Green
Card method.
Winter Operations
The information below provides an overview of ACPS Winter Operations, including how decisions are made regarding school schedules during inclement weather and the factors considered when determining delays, early dismissals, closures, or virtual learning days. You'll also find information about our decision-making process, how weather conditions are monitored, when families can expect to receive notifications, and what to expect if a virtual learning day is implemented. Our goal is to keep students and staff safe while minimizing disruptions to learning whenever possible.
How decisions are made
When must a decision be made?
We decide whether to change the school schedule by 6:00 a.m. We generally notify ACPS families, staff, and our local media outlets beginning at 5:30 a.m. However, we may update our decision if the weather worsens. For example, a 2- or 3-hour delay could change to a full closure. We'll let you know as quickly as we can. If we dismiss students early because of bad weather, we usually decide at least 2 hours before the early dismissal time.
Can an announced weather-related adjustment to the school day change later in the morning?
Yes, a 2- or 3-hour delay can change to a full closure if conditions get worse. Weather in Allegany County can change quickly, and different areas may have different weather at the same time. Because of this, families, staff, and students should keep checking for updates throughout the morning.
Is Virtual Learning Available on Inclement Weather Days?
ACPS releases its Inclement Weather Plan each academic year at the start of bad weather.
ACPS has three snow days (called "severe weather days" by the State of Maryland). On these days, students, teachers, and staff will be off, and the days will be made up at the end of the school year.
If we need to close school beyond those three days, we'll use virtual learning days to keep students on track academically. Information about Virtual Learning Days can also be found on our website.
What types of School Day adjustments are possible?
Entire School District or Regional Delayed Openings: Delayed openings are designed to allow for conditions to improve, additional road condition evaluations, and weather updates. Delayed openings can result in a 2- or 3-hour delay.
Entire School District, Regional, or Specific School Closures: The entire Allegany County Public School District may close, or a regional closure specific to certain areas may occur. In the case of a regional closure, students in the closed region will be given excused absences and will not require a note from a parent or guardian for the day their school was closed due to weather.
Please note: Occasionally, a closure may be specific to a particular school within a region. In this instance, if an elementary school closes due to adverse weather conditions, students attending the middle and high school from the elementary school's region will not be transported by school bus. Again, students in the closed school and the middle and high school students from the elementary region will have an excused absence.
What types of School Day adjustments are possible?
School officials monitor weather forecasts from multiple sources throughout the winter. We start watching closely many hours—sometimes even days—before predicted bad weather.
ACPS uses local weather monitoring resources and communicates directly with the National Weather Service to get real-time weather information specific to Allegany County.
Our maintenance, operations, facilities, and transportation staff begin checking road conditions as early as 3:00 a.m. They continue monitoring as needed and gather updates from multiple sources and agencies throughout the county.
Based on this information, the Superintendent decides whether to keep normal school hours or announce a delay or closure. We make this announcement starting at 5:30 a.m. on:
- The ACPS website
- Facebook, Instagram, and X/Twitter
- Local media outlets
- School Messenger (phone calls, emails, and text messages)