Reminder: Process for Communicating Inclement Weather Office Closings & Course Cancellations; Make Sure Your Phone Number is Current in Employee Online

As we approach winter, we want to remind you of how our agency communicates about inclement weather office closings and course cancellations. 

Heartland AEA offices will typically remain open unless all schools in a region are closed and travel is not recommended—which we know does happen. In preparation for the possibility of office closings and professional learning course cancellations, read below for the process the Agency uses to communicate about closings, cancellations and delays.





• First, read the Agency’s Inclement Weather Policy, which can be found in the Staff Handbook in Section 11:15. If you have any questions about the Inclement Weather policy, contact Tony Chiaramonte, Director of Human Resources.




• Second, 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 Section 3:4. In an inclement weather circumstance, staff members who complete timesheets have the option of taking unpaid leave, even if they have other leaves available.  


• Third, make sure your phone information is up-to-date in Employee Online, so you will be notified of office closings. If you are a new staff member or have a new phone number, you will receive a message from the short code 67587 asking if you’d like to opt-in to receive messages from SchoolMessenger. Reply “Yes” to receive those messages.  



Communicating Office Closures 


The Agency uses the following methods to notify staff members of office closures due to inclement weather.  

• SchoolMessenger: We will send text and email messages through SchoolMessenger (an online notification system) to only those staff members who are assigned to offices that close.   
• Website: We will post closing information on the front page of the Agency’s website.  
• Social Media: We will post closing information on the Agency's Facebook and Twitter accounts.

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.