How to Learn of School Cancellations

During winter and inclement weather, families are encouraged to stay connected with the district in several ways to learn of school cancellations.

When the chance for severe or inclement weather looms, we will only post the cancellation of school, athletic events, and other activities. We will NOT post when school, athletic events, and activities are proceeding as scheduled.

If school is canceled due to snow or bad weather, the information will be available in these ways:

• Notification to guardians and staff via text, email, and voice call to information on file (Sent via SchoolMessenger)

• District website — www.GreatBendSchools.net

• Facebook — go to "USD 428"

• Local television and radio stations

Any parent who is in the district's system, and who has included a cell phone number, will receive a text message in case of the cancellation of school. If there has been a change in a parent's phone number or email address since enrollment, please notify the child's school.

Inclement Weather FAQs

Q: What is the best way to stay up to date on school closings?

A: We encourage our school communities to be aware of potential inclement weather. To best serve our community in regard to closings or delays, we also encourage our patrons to check our website (www.GreatBendSchools.net) and follow our social media platforms for the most current information. We will post updates only if there is a closing. Additionally, parents in the district will receive an email and text message in the event of a school closing - please contact your child's school to update personal contact information in your Skyward account.

Q: If there is a cancellation, what time of day does the district make that call?

A: When dealing with weather, every situation is different and unfortunately there is no standard time for announcing cancellations. As soon as a decision has been made, district staff members work diligently to inform the public.

Q: Will we be notified if school is not canceled?

A: Notifications will ONLY be sent if there are cancellations.

Q: What is the amount of snow or temperature at which school will be canceled?

A: There is no “magic number.” A variety of factors are taken into consideration when considering canceling school, including temperature, precipitation, wind speed, wind chill, road and sidewalk conditions, etc. All conditions and variables are closely monitored by district leadership. Many times, officials will work through the night monitoring the conditions. The safety of our students and staff is our first priority. 

Q: Why is school sometimes canceled the night before and other times during the early morning hours?

A: Each situation is different when dealing with weather. District leadership closely monitors all conditions often through the evening and early morning hours. All factors are taken into account. Because we do not operate bus routes, there are situations where neighboring schools may cancel when we remain open. Great Bend USD 428 takes cancellations very seriously.