Before we know it, we’ll officially be heading into the winter weather season! We want to be sure our entire school community is prepared for the possibility of school cancellations and schedule changes due to severe winter storms. Below you’ll find important details about how these decisions are made, how we’ll communicate with you and what to expect if winter weather impacts the school day.
Calendar Information
In August, the Board of Education approved the revised 2025-2026 school year calendar, which includes the removal of potential snow make-up days on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 19) and Presidents’ Day (February 16). This means we will not have school on these dates and the district will be closed. This change follows the passage of Senate Bill 68, which no longer requires 169 days of attendance, but instead requires districts to have a 169-day calendar.
The Republic School District follows DESE regulations and state law for meeting instructional requirements. Our 170-day calendar includes more than the minimum hours of instruction required by the state, including built-in time for inclement weather. This means Republic Schools will continue to utilize Alternate Methods of Instruction (AMI), traditional snow days, late starts and early releases as needed to keep students and staff safe, while preserving instructional time. Additional make-up days will not be necessary unless the district experiences a significant number of missed days.
Winter Weather Procedures
In the event of winter storms or severe winter weather, school cancellation alternatives within the Republic School District will be as follows for the 2025-2026 school year:
No school in Republic School District, also known as a “traditional snow day”
Communicated by 5:30 a.m.
Alternate Method of Instruction (AMI) Day, also known as virtual learning
Communicated by 5:30 a.m.
Click here for more details about virtual learning procedures.
Two-Hour Late Start
Communicated by 5:30 a.m.
Bus routes and school start times will begin two hours later than normal.
Schools will adjust their daily schedule (lunch, recess, etc.) as needed.
Evening practices and events will be on unless otherwise communicated
Dismissal will remain at normal times.
Morning STRIPES 360/Winter Escape will not be available, but afternoon STRIPES 360 will operate as usual.
Early Release due to expected weather
Communicated by 10:00 a.m.
Students will dismiss one to two hours early.
Evening practices and events will be canceled.
STRIPES 360 will be available for K–6 students IF it’s safe for staff to stay.
Additional details regarding winter weather procedures are available here.
Communication
District leaders work closely with weather experts to make informed decisions when it comes to winter storms. We communicate as early as possible if a change to the school schedule is needed.
If school schedules are changed, canceled or moved to virtual because of weather, our Communications Department will use an automated system to call and text all staff, parents/guardians and 6th-12th grade students.
Please note: Republic School District will only communicate schedule changes and will not send automated phone calls or text messages if classes are going to be held as normal.
Here are a few things to remember:
Phone calls will come from 417-732-3636.
Texts will come from short code 98900. If you’ve already opted out of text messages and would like to opt back in, please text START to 98900.
Please update your contact information in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal to ensure you receive alerts.
Students in 6th-12th grades can receive messages if their number is listed in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal.
Grandparents or emergency contacts can receive weather-related alerts. They can click here to sign up.
In addition, announcements about school day changes or cancellations will be made on Republic School District’s social media pages and website, as well as on local radio and TV stations.