School Delays & Cancellations

Delaying, Closing and Calamity Days for Findlay City Schools

We understand that our decision to delay or close school in bad weather has a big impact on families.  We also understand that our students are better served academically and socially by being in school.  As always, our top priority is the safety of our students on the bus, walking, or driving to school.  Year after year we are asked questions on how the decision is made on delays and cancellations.  With this in mind, please allow me to share with you the process for deciding whether to keep schools open, delay the opening or close schools, and how you are notified of the decision.

Our Director of Operations, Assistant Superintendent, Transportation Supervisor, and Superintendent begin to watch the weather very closely starting between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m. every morning.  Weather radar, radio, and TV stations are monitored and roads are driven to visually document the weather.  Contact with our other staff members as well as other area superintendents is extremely important in this process to see if weather conditions are different and changing in our county school areas.  Once a decision is made, a call tree starts which includes our transportation staff, website, and calls to radio and TV stations.

Although we do our absolute best, we know that often there is no perfect decision.  The fact that our high school and middle schools start earlier than our elementary schools, makes our decision extremely difficult when ice or fog are involved.  If you do not feel that it is safe for your child to attend school, please use your best judgment on whether he or she should attend.

Scheduled Teacher In-Service Dates

3-Hour Delay/1-Hour Extension of School Day
Under normal circumstances, we will use a 2-hour delay.  We also have the option to utilize a 3-hour delay/1-hour extension.  This 3-hour delay/1-hour extension fulfills the minimum school day requirement by state law.  Below are our normal start and end times as well as the start and end times for a 3-hour day/1-hour extension of the school day. Note: There will be no Preschool on a 3-Hour Delay schedule.

Normal School Start/End Times 
FHS ~ 7:30am-2:30pm
Middle Schools (Grades 6-8) ~ 7:25am-2:30pm
Bigelow Hill, Chamberlin Hill, Wilson Vance School ~ 9:05am-3:30pm
Northview, Jefferson, Whittier ~ 9:15am-3:40pm
FCS Preschool ~ 9:25am-12:05pm & 1:00pm-3:40pm

3-Hour Delay/1-Hour Extension Start/End Times
FHS ~ 10:30am-3:30pm
Middle Schools (Grades 6-8) ~ 10:25am-3:30pm
Bigelow Hill, Chamberlin Hill, Wilson Vance School ~ 12:05pm- 4:30pm
Northview, Jefferson, Whittier ~ 12:15pm-4:40pm
FCS Preschool ~ CLOSED

For information regarding school delays and cancellations due to inclement weather, please visit the district website www.fcs.org

You can find information by tuning to local and regional media:  WFIN, 1330 AM; WBVI, 96.7 FM; WKXA, 100.5 FM; WHMQ, 108 FM; WNWO, TV 24; WTVG, TV 13; and WTOL, TV 11.