Late Starts, Early Outs, and Closings

Throughout the year there will be days when, due to inclement weather, school is delayed, dismissed early, or closed for the day.   We will use our calling system, Campus Messenger, to announce changes in the school schedule due to the weather.  After sending a Campus message, the corresponding information will be posted on the district website at www.isd466.org.

If you need help setting up your Parent Portal account with Infinite Campus, please contact a building secretary.

Minnesota Weather is highly variable and changes quickly. 

There are days when it is clear at 6:15 am and foggy at 6:45 am.  Weather and road conditions also vary widely throughout the 186 square miles of our school district.  Although we attend to weather conditions closely, you may consider the conditions of your location unsafe for your children.  Additionally, your child may have an early morning practice or commitment at school that occurs before a delay or closure is announced.  If parents are ever concerned about sending their child to school because of weather conditions, it is always the parents’ choice to keep their child at home. 

Two-Hour Late Start

Factors considered include road conditions, visibility, snow depth, wind chill, and the forecast for the remainder of the day. Generally, if roads are passable and it’s believed buses will be able to complete their routes with only slight delays, school will start two hours late.

If the weather worsens or is expected to remain severe, school may be closed for the day. 

• The first two (2) cancellations will be considered "snow days" and will not be replaced with E-learning days. 
• The next five (5) days of school-related cancellations will result in E-learning days.  

(These seven (7) days will not create any changes to the school calendar.)

School Closing

There are times when the weather is either too severe or sometimes anticipated to worsen, for school to be held.  Factors considered include road conditions, visibility, snow depth, wind chill, and the forecast for the coming day.  

If school is canceled for the day, it may either be considered a "snow day" or an E-learning day.

• The first two cancellations will be considered "snow days" and will not be replaced with E-learning days. 
• The next five (5) days of school-related cancellations will result in E-learning days.

(These seven (7) days will not create any changes to the school calendar.)  

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON E-LEARNING DAYS, CLICK HERE.

Winter weather notification survey

Dassel-Cokato Schools uses Infinite Campus as its primary means of communicating with families. Per our Winter Weather Plan, school delays and cancellations will initially and primarily be communicated through Campus Messenger, via phone and text message.

However, we recognize families and community members also rely on alternative methods of communication. As such, we conducted a survey in November of 2021 to determine the primary resources families use for seeking information about delays and cancellations.  

Survey results show most families receive information through social media platforms and directly from the district website.  While some still use local television stations, very few receive updates through the radio.