School Closings and Alerts

Snow, extremely cold weather, or a facilities problem such as a broken water main could cause schools to close for the day, move to a flexible, at-home learning day, start late, or dismiss early. Spring Lake Park Schools makes every possible effort to keep schools open, in most weather conditions, if bus travel is safe. Unless we announce otherwise, assume school is in session.

In the case of snowy or cold conditions, be sure to dress students warmly for the possibility of longer walk times or waits at the bus stop and allow for the occasional delay with pick-up times. Absences due to weather concerns will be reviewed by an administrator for potential follow up if school has been open and in session.

We make decisions to close school looking at a number of factors. Buses must be able to start and run dependably. Local road conditions must be safe and passable. Windchills must be safe, especially during bus pick up and drop off times. When there are sustained wind chills of 40 to 45 degrees below zero during critical travel times, conditions are not safe for students. Like neighboring districts, the National Weather Service is our source for weather information.

Due to the often unpredictable winter weather in Minnesota, in most cases we wait until the morning of each school day before notifying families. However, there may be rare instances when we make a decision the night before.

How are decisions made for when schools remain open or close?

Schools are Open

On cold or snowy days when weather conditions may not be ideal but bus routes are safe, the district will keep schools open. We realize that weather or traffic conditions could cause some buses to run late or present challenges for some walkers if sidewalks still need to be shoveled.

On days such as this, it is always the parents' decision whether or not to send their children to school if they believe there is a safety issue regarding weather conditions.

No school credit is lost, and it is an excused absence if a parent decides to keep their child home because of extreme cold or inclement weather.

If you do not receive a phone call, text or email from the school district, find a message on our website, or see a posting on local media channels, school is in session.

Schools are Closed

The school district would close school if it is unsafe for students to arrive at school or if buses would have difficulty traveling their routes.

The amount of snow, temperature, wind chill, passable roads, and at times the possibility of buses not starting are among the many factors that are considered.

If schools are closed, we alert our families by phone, text, and/or email using the information and preferences we have on file for emergency communications; publish an alert on our website; and post information on local media channels.

What are all the potential scenarios with winter weather closings?

How will I know if school is closed, released early, there is a delayed start or a flexible learning day?

An alert notification will be sent to you by phone, text, and e-mail based upon information on file with the school district and any preferences you have selected for notification in cases of emergency.
An easy-to-find, pop-up Alert Message will be posted on district and school websites: SpringLakeParkSchools.org
We will post a message on our Facebook page.
We will tweet a message on our district Twitter account.
We will share information via school closing messages on KARE-11, WCCO-4, KMSP Fox 9, KSTP-5, 830 radio, and Star Tribune.

Keep your contact information updated

When school is closed, released early, has a delayed start, or a flexible learning day is called, our automated e-mail, phone, and text alert system is our most effective means of notifying parents and families in the shortest amount of time. In these cases, it is important that we have the most up-to-date parent/guardian contact information (home phone, cell phone, e-mail addresses).

To update your contact information, including phone numbers or email addresses, please login to Parent Portal.

If you need assistance with this process, if you need login information, or if you need to set up your Campus Portal account, please contact the Technology Help Desk at 763-600-5555 or email portal@district16.org.

How can I track my student's bus with the MyStop app?

MyStop App

MyStop is a web-based application available to parents and students that allows them access to live bus GPS information. Using a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer, parents and students can view the current location of buses on routes and the estimated time of arrival at their neighborhood bus stops.
Click here to login to MyStop

What is MyStop?

This simple and informative tool provides the ability to know approximately where a school bus is on its route. MyStop displays the school bus’s approximate location on a map, as well as the estimated time of arrival (ETA) to a specific student’s bus stop. The location of a school bus is automatically updated every few minutes, and the ETA is recalculated to accommodate any delays due to traffic while the bus is en route.

Please note:

MyStop does not work for after-school activity routes since there are no students assigned to them and no set stops
MyStop is functioning for regular education a.m./p.m. bus routes at this time. Roll out for special needs transportation service will occur in the near future as these vehicles come online with GPS reporting. Parents concerned about bus route times may continue to contact the district transportation office or Lorenz Bus directly for up-to-the minute route information.

How do I get the My Stop app for my smart phone or tablet?

Mobile

Search for “Versatrans My Stop” in the Apple App Store for an OS device or in Google Play for an Android device and install. Below is an example of the MyStop screen.

Web Browser

Click here to access MyStop via a web browser and enter your user name and password. Families received emails in mid-September containing user name and password information. User name and passwords can also be found in Parent Portal. Below is an example of the User Name and Password screen.

Once in MyStop, you will see a map depicting a portion of your student's bus route. Your child’s name will display in the box in the top menu bar. The yellow arrow represents the current location and direction of the bus. The orange icon represents your student’s stop. We recommend bookmarking this access page on your browser to allow for quicker future logins.

The box at the bottom of the map provides system messages and lists the current location of your child’s bus as well as the estimated time the bus will arrive at your child’s bus stop.

If you have any questions, you can contact Transportation Services by sending an email to transportation@district16.org. Please be sure to include the name of your student(s) in the email.

Tips and Tricks

Do not login to MyStop too early before your child’s scheduled pick-up or drop-off time. The data provided through MyStop is constantly changing. ETA’s are based on standard GPS route calculations, and not the actual length of time remaining to get to your child’s bus stop. You will access the most accurate data if you check the system within 10 minutes of your child’s scheduled pick-up or drop-off time
Parents and students do not have separate MyStop accounts and will use the same login information to access the system
Rather than typing in the full URL address for MyStop each time you want to access the system, save it as a favorite on your desktop computer or add a quick link to the home screen of your smartphone or tablet to have quick and easy access to the system any time you need it

Troubleshooting MyStop

Problem: Login and Password

Solution: Your login and password can be found in the Parent Portal. You can also contact Student Transportation by sending an email to transportation@district16.org. Please be sure to include your student’s name in the message.

Problem: I see the following message in MyStop: MyStop GPS is unavailable for bus #XYZ Estimated Time of Arrival: 1:11 p.m.

Solution: This message will appear if MyStop is not able to acquire GPS location information for your child’s bus. There may be an issue with GPS system, or the bus has been substituted with another bus that is not equipped with a GPS unit.

If you see this message, the estimated time of arrival is the time based on the scheduled route and time set by District Student Transportation. It will not reflect the actual remaining travel time to your child’s bus stop.

Problem: I see the following message in MyStop: Bus #XYZ is near MAIN ST Estimated Time of Arrival is Unavailable (bus passed stop)

Solution: Your child’s route information may be in the process of being updated. Wait a minute for any updates to be completed. Then, if you still see this message and the current time is after your child’s scheduled pick-up or drop-off time, the bus may have passed your child’s stop.

Please note: Bus drivers are instructed not to run ahead of schedule in the morning. If a driver arrives at a pick-up location ahead of schedule, he/she has been instructed to wait at the stop until the scheduled stop time.

Problem: I see the following message in MyStop: Bus #XYZ is not yet running your scheduled route Estimated Time of Arrival: 3:54 p.m. (per schedule)

Solution: Your child’s bus has not yet started its route or it has completed its route. If you see this message, the estimated time of arrival is the time based on the scheduled route and time set by District Student Transportation. It will not reflect the actual remaining travel time to your child’s bus stop.

Keep your contact information updated

To update your contact information, including phone numbers or email addresses, please log in to Campus Parent portal and follow these instructions:

Once you are logged in, select “more” on the left-side menu
To update information on any of the following sections you will see an “Update” button that will create an information change request. Once submitted, our enrollment office will review the information and will process the changes. If we have any questions, we will contact you
Click on “Address Information” to update your household phone number. To update address information, you will need to contact our enrollment office at 763-600-5018
Click on “Demographics” to update information on your child. If you have more than one child in the district you can change the active child from the selector on the upper right of the screen
The Demographics screen also allows you to add other people that are related to the child like grandparents that live in a different household
Click on the “Family Information” tab to update individual phone numbers, email addresses, family member and family relationships to each of your households
Click on the “Health” information tab to review health information and immunization

If you need assistance, such as help with logging in or if you need to set up your Campus Parent portal account, please contact the Technology Help Desk at 763-600-5555 or email portal@district16.org.

What if I did not receive the alert messages?

What are the procedures for when school is closed/canceled for the day?

When Spring Lake Park Schools is closed, the following will typically take place:

All schools are closed. A flexible learning day may be called to continue learning for the day outside of our school buildings.
All daytime programs are canceled.
Early Childhood Family Education programs, Preschool are canceled.
Learning Ventures and Discovery Days are canceled.
Before- and after-school programs and classes are canceled.
Community Education programs for youth and adults are canceled.
After-school or evening athletic or activities practices or contests may or may not take place. Each is at the discretion of the district, the activities director, or individual coaches or advisors. The Spring Lake Park page of the North Suburban Conference website (nsconference.org) will also be updated.
For evening community rentals of school facilities, individuals should check with sponsoring organizations regarding possible cancellations.

What are the procedures for when there is a two-hour delayed start?

If the start of school is delayed for two hours, the following would usually occur:

All schools will start exactly two hours later than usual
Buses will run two hours later than usual
Learning Ventures, Discovery Days, Preschool, Early Childhood Family Education, and Early Childhood Special Education will be open at their regular starting times. It would be helpful to call your Learning Ventures or Discovery Days site before bringing children to be certain staff have arrived
Continue to monitor the district website for updates and changes
All district staff should report as close as possible to their usual starting times

What are the procedures for when school is dismissed early?

If inclement weather (or broken water main or other facilities problem) causes a school or schools to be dismissed early, the following typically occurs:

Early Childhood Family Education programs and preschool classes that have not started by this time will be canceled
Afternoon Learning Ventures will not reopen for care
Children who are at school when it is canceled need to follow the family’s emergency care procedures
Discovery Days children will have parents notified for pick-up within two hours
After School Adventures classes will be canceled
After school or evening athletic or activities practices or contests may or may not take place. Each is at the discretion of the district, the activities director, or individual coaches/advisors. The Spring Lake Park page of the North Suburban Conference website will be continually updated.

What is a flexible learning day and what are the procedures when one is called?

Flexible learning days are an opportunity for students to continue learning at home when school buildings are closed due to severe winter weather. When a flexible learning day is called, students are not expected to physically come to school but are expected to participate in instruction using Schoology or Seesaw.

All schools in Minnesota have a required amount of active, teacher-facilitated learning time for students. In the event that we have a school cancellation due to inclement weather, Spring Lake Park can decide to call up to five flexible learning days during a calendar year.

We communicate flexible learning days following our regular notification process.

If a flexible learning day is called:

Students in grades Kindergarten-Grade 3 will continue their learning by completing assignments and learning activities created by their teacher. These activities will be posted in Schoology or Seesaw by 10 a.m.
Students in grades 4-12 will continue their learning by logging into Schoology courses for instruction and assignments. If a student is not able to do this, they can call their teacher’s extension and listen to the assignment. Teachers will communicate expectations by 10 a.m.
Students with an Individual Education Plan will follow the assignments from their teacher and/or assignments will be modified by their case manager.
Teachers will be available during school hours. Student and/or parent can contact teachers by email and/or their school phone extension available on the district website.

It is understood that a limited number of students may not have internet access at home. If this applies to you, please contact the District Services Center, 763-600-5000, at any time, and a staff member will work with you on alternate plans.

How are decisions made related to cold?

When it comes to closing school because of cold weather, it is all about safety. We know the cold begins to be considered dangerous when wind chills approach 40 degrees below zero and air temperature 20 degrees below zero. For this reason, Spring Lake Park, and other metro area school districts, use projected 6 a.m. temperatures to consider closing school. When making these decisions, we need to ensure that buses can run reliably in the cold temperatures.

Do other districts influence our decision to close, dismiss early, delay start or have a flexible learning day?

Sometimes. Snowfall-related cancellations can affect metro areas very differently whereas cold weather impacts each of the metro districts in a similar way. Although each school district makes its own decision, communication and consultation among school districts is very common and necessary. Because we share services with neighboring districts, it's always important for bordering districts to talk to each other before making their decisions.