Reminder: Process for Communicating Inclement Weather Office Closings & Course Cancellations

Winter is almost upon us, so here is your annual communication about inclement weather office closings and course cancellations. Offices will typically be open unless all schools in a region are closed and travel is not recommended. But we all know this happens! So in preparation for the possibility of office closings and professional development course cancellations, read below for the process that the Agency uses to communicate about closings or delays, which has been updated.

First, read the Agency’s Inclement Weather Policy, which can be found in the Staff Handbook and posted separately on the Intranet > Human Resources > For All Staff/Frequently Used Items.

Remember that the Temporary Remote Workplace Program can be used in extraordinary circumstances with supervisor approval. More information about the program can be found in the Staff Handbook. In an inclement weather circumstance, staff members who complete timesheets have the option of taking unpaid leave, even if they have other leaves available.

If you have any questions about the Inclement Weather policy, contact Tony Chiaramonte, Human Resources Manager.

Communicating Office Closures
The Agency uses a variety of methods to notify staff members of office closures due to inclement weather.

SchoolMessenger
SchoolMessenger is an online notification system with the capability of sending voice, email and SMS (text) messages. Last spring when we surveyed you about your preferred method of communication for closings, text message notification was the #1 preferred method. Going forward, we will send SMS and email messages through SchoolMessenger to only those staff members who are assigned to offices that close. For example, if the Newton and Indianola offices are closed, we will only notify the staff members who are assigned to those offices. Staff in other offices won’t receive an SMS or email message.

Website
We will post closing information on the front page of the Agency’s website (www.heartlandaea.org).

Social Media
We will post closing information on the Agency’s Facebook & Twitter accounts (www.facebook.com/heartlandaea & twitter.com/HeartlandAEA).

Cancellation Hotline
We will no longer utilize a cancellation hotline for closing information.

Communicating Professional Development Class Cancellations
If a professional development class is canceled, the cancellation will be communicated via the agency website and social media.

If you have any questions about inclement weather communications, contact Courtney Croatt, Communications Specialist, at or ext. 14474.