Dear Eagle Ridge Academy Community,

We live in Minnesota and, on occasion, it will be necessary for Eagle Ridge Academy to cancel or start school late because of snow or severely cold temperatures. As an administrator for the past 20 years, I have had much experience with making the decision to stay open, close, or start late because of inclement weather. As we recognize and appreciate the fact that every family has a different situation, we realize that our decisions will not meet the needs of all. Therefore, I’d like to clearly communicate the Academy’s decision-making process when cancelling or starting school late.

For cold weather, most school districts use a wind chill chart to determine the danger zone of the wind chill. If the wind chill is forecasted to be 35 degrees below zero, then you will see schools start to cancel. Every district has individual circumstances to consider. For example, the Academy does not have students who walk to school and our bus riders generally do not wait for the bus outside but in a warm vehicle. This would cause some to assume that Eagle Ridge Academy students have less exposure and risk. However, if a bus breaks down, it will take a minimum of 45 minutes to replace the bus. That is too long for our students to be in the cold. Some schools, especially those outside the metro area, will often run a two-hour late start. I generally do not believe this to be a good option but realize we may need to use this strategy from time to time. For example, the two-hour late start is effective if the temperature warms between 6:00 and 8:00 a.m.

For snow accumulation, many other factors exist. These factors include total accumulation, time of the accumulation, progress of snowplows according to the DOT, and the continued weather forecast. Generally, southwest metro schools collaborate with each other to make decisions. Eagle Ridge Academy is in a special circumstance in that we have students from many cities. While Minneapolis may receive little snow, Shakopee and Chaska may receive large amounts. In cases like these, we may hold school as usual; however, we will excuse students who were not able to safely travel to school.

All cancellations and delays will be reported via text/phone call/email, as well as on WCCO and the Academy's Facebook page. Our goal is to have the information communicated by 6:00 a.m. for the convenience of families yet give the administration team time to make the best decision. I truly understand the inconvenience of school cancellations to families, student learning, and scheduling. Know that the decisions we make always place student safety first, and we are willing to accept the inconvenience, knowing that your children are out of harm’s way.

Sincerely,

Jason Ulbrich, Chief Executive Officer