Aspire Education Center
Weather Guidelines
- Message from Superintendent Regarding Inclement Weather Learning Options
- Winter Weather School Closing Information and FAQs
- Click Here for High Heat Guidelines
Message from Superintendent Regarding Inclement Weather Learning Options
Dear Moline-Coal Valley Families,
As we approach the 2025-2026 winter break and the colder months ahead, I wanted to take a moment to share how our District makes decisions during periods of inclement winter weather. Above all else, our priority is the safety and well-being of our students and staff and we appreciate your partnership and understanding during these situations.
When winter weather occurs, the District has two options available:
Option 1: Winter Weather Remote Learning Day
• Students learn from home using our continuous learning plan
• These days do not need to be made up at the end of the school year
Option 2: Emergency Day
• All school buildings are closed, no remote learning takes place
• These days must be made up at the end of the school year
It has long been the practice of the District to keep schools open whenever it is safe to do so, recognizing that families rely on us in many different ways. Each weather-related decision is made carefully, using guidance from weather authorities and local conditions, with student and staff safety guiding every choice.
Generally speaking:
• If there is a winter weather advisory, schools will typically remain open.
• If there is a winter weather warning, a closure and Remote Learning will likely occur.
• An Emergency Day is reserved only for the most extreme and unsafe conditions.
Regardless of the District’s decision, we fully respect that families know their children and circumstances best. If you determine that conditions are not safe for your child, please contact your school. Weather-related absences are always considered excused. Additional information can be found on the District website at www.molineschools.org under Parents & Families → Resources → Weather Guidelines.
Finally, please refer to the second page of this letter for our Remote Learning Day schedule. This schedule is designed to be flexible, developmentally appropriate, and supportive of a wide range of family needs. Thank you for your continued partnership and trust as we work together to keep students safe, learning, and supported this winter season.
Warm regards,
Rachel Savage, Superintendent Moline-Coal Valley School District
Students will have a total of five hours throughout the day for online engagement and independent learning activity completion.
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Grades Pre-K-2 |
Grades 3-5 |
Grades 6-12 |
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Winter weather remote learning activities will be sent home in advance. Please keep these materials in a safe place at home. Students will complete these activities when a winter weather remote learning day is called. Daily attendance is determined by the completion of work. To be marked “Present” for the day, students must complete their independent learning assignments (paper/packet activities) and return the completed assignments to school on the next in-person school day. Teachers of grades Pre-K-2 will be available during the day to answer questions via school email or Class Dojo. Students with Individualized Learning Plans should also refer back to their daily remote learning plan in the IEP |
Please begin the day by checking Class Dojo for updates. All Teachers/Specialists will post daily learning activities via Google Classroom and/or Class Dojo. Teachers in grades 3-5 also have the option to provide and send home paper/packet learning activities in advance. Daily attendance is determined by the completion of work. To be marked “Present” for the day, students must submit their work online via Class Dojo/Google Classroom or return paper/packet activities on the next in-person school day. Teachers will host two optional Google Meet sessions throughout the day. Students will log in to connect with their class, or ask questions about assignments.
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Each student’s 2nd period Teacher will send an “Attendance Question” through Google Classroom for students to answer in the morning. Students will have all day to complete their paper or Google Classroom online learning activities and bring any paper-based work back completed to school the next day. There will be two optional opportunities for students to log on to a “Google Meets” with their Teacher to check in and connect or to ask questions regarding the learning activities:
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*Notifications for any Remote Learning Day or Emergency Day will be sent via Remind, Class Dojo, and through the news media.
Click Here to download or print these guidelines.
Winter Weather School Closing Information and FAQs
Moline-Coal Valley School District strives to keep schools open for students during the academic year. In times of inclement winter weather the decision to open or close schools is based primarily on current and anticipated weather and road conditions that will affect families during school hours. The district now also has the option to call for a Winter Weather Remote Learning Day (former snow day). This allows the day to count as a day of independent learning and does not have to be made up at the end of the school year, as emergency days do.
Local superintendents and staff study weather conditions in our districts during the early morning hours to determine if road conditions will allow for reasonable travel by parents and students. Regardless of the decision, we do realize that it may not be the most appropriate for every family. If you, as the parent or guardian, should decide to keep your child home due to the inclement weather, please contact the staff at your school’s office and make them aware of your decision. Phone numbers may be found on each school’s web page located on the District Website, www.molineschools.org. These absences are considered excused.
In making the decision to close or keep schools open, or to call for a Winter Weather Remote Learning Day, the District uses the following guidelines:
- On days of anticipated inclement weather, regional Superintendents in the QC convene virtually at 4:30 a.m. to listen to weather service and road condition reports. Please keep in mind, while regional districts strive to make similar decisions regarding school closures, each district ultimately makes the best decision for their unique district circumstances
- Can the municipal street departments maintain all of the main streets in an acceptable manner?
- Is the District’s facilities department able to clear walkways, doorways and parking lots sufficiently for pedestrians, cars, and emergency vehicles in a timely manner?
- If possible, school closures will be announced the night before the closure. If this is not possible, every effort will be made to announce the closure by 6:00am, the day of the closure through the following communication tools:
- District REMIND text messaging system and/or Class Dojo
- School District website: www.molineschools.org
- Local television news media television
Early dismissal due to inclement weather
As you may know, once children arrive at school, it has been the practice in the Moline-Coal Valley district not to send children home prior to the regular dismissal time, however, rare exceptions may necessitate sending students home before the regular dismissal time. This also would be announced through the communication channels listed above.
Outdoor weather conditions
If extreme cold winter weather conditions are present during the school day, district administrators refer to the National Weather Service factor to determine whether or not school will be in session.
Generally speaking:
• If there is a winter weather advisory, schools will typically remain open.
• If there is a winter weather warning, a closure and Remote Learning will likely occur.
• An Emergency Day is reserved only for the most extreme and unsafe conditions.
How Parents Can Help
Please make sure your phone number and contact information is accurate and updated in Skyward to ensure that you will receive these important communications. Be sure to download the Remind app and/or Class Dojo and please make sure that your notifications are turned on.
FAQ’s
- Why don’t you close when Iowa and surrounding Illinois districts do?
- Unlike the Iowa and neighboring rural districts, Moline (and Rock Island) do not have the same issues with busing students on rural highways and more remote areas where high winds and drifting snow can make roads impassable. Moline also benefits from being mostly landlocked with cities to the north, west and east and the fact that the City of Moline continues to do such a good job of clearing the main streets.
- You’re only keeping schools open because of the money.
- Funding from the State of Illinois to school districts is based on the average daily attendance (ADA) of the best three months of the school year. Because of the weather, the winter months are seldom used in those calculations.
- My child will be punished if they don’t come to school on these days.
- If a parent or guardian calls in to his/her school, that absence is considered excused.
- Does this mean that schools will always be open regardless of the weather?
- No, student safety is our first consideration; and there have been a number of times in the past when school was canceled due to roads that became impassable or as a result of excessively cold, icy or snowy conditions.
- How cold does it have to be to keep students in for recess?
- It is the Moline-Coal Valley District’s policy that if the temperature is 10 degrees or lower (including wind chill), students will be kept indoors.
During the cold weather, please be sure that your child comes to school dressed appropriately for outdoor events. Warm coats, gloves, scarves, hats and boots are a good idea in the winter weather.
Click Here for High Heat Guidelines
MCV will release after 5 hours of instruction for its non-air conditioned buildings.
➢ Early release at 1:30pm, after 5 hours of instruction plus lunch
➢ The school day will not have to be made up
➢ All other air-conditioned schools will remain in session for the full day
Criteria for Early Dismissal of Non-Air Conditioned Schools
● Heat index (combination of heat + humidity) reaches 98 degrees or above
● Based upon Child Care Weather Watch reference guide
Action Plan:
● If heat index reaches 98 degrees, non-A/C schools will be released at 1:30pm.
○ Willard Elementary
○ Jefferson Early Childhood Center
● All other schools will remain in session for the full day.
Communication
● Notification will be provided by 6:00 a.m. or as soon as possible, via the Parent Notification System Remind, emails, media outlets, and district website.
Staff Members:
● Staff of non-air conditioned schools will complete the full contract day but are encouraged to move to a cool place within the building to work.
Athletics (After School Hours):
● If a high risk is present due to excessive heat for athletes, coaches must follow the IHSA guidelines for prevention of heat illness.
Building Action Plan:
● Keep shades closed on the side of the building receiving the most sunlight.
● Keep overhead lights to a minimum when possible.
● Turn off any electronic equipment not in use.
Maintenance Action Plan:
● Air exchange units will be left on overnight when temp is over 90 degrees
● Custodians will leave the second floor windows open during the evening
Revised (11/27/23)