When weather conditions make traveling on our buses unsafe for our students, schools will be closed for the day. On days when students are already at school before a storm develops, schools may close early (usually 1:00 p.m.). The decision to cancel school or dismiss early is made by the Superintendent of Schools in consultation with MSAD #27 and the Madawaska School Department.

Once the decision has been made to cancel school for the day or to close before the usual 2:36 dismissal time, families are notified of that decision through the AlertNow Rapid Communication Service that forwards a phone call to all homes. Parents and guardians are informed within minutes of the decision made by the Superindtendent. In addition to the call, the following stations are notified to broadcast the decision:

WAGM TV (Channel 4)
WLBZ TV (Channel 2)
Channel X Radio (WCXU, 97.7 FM; WCXX, 102.3 FM; W276AY, 103.1 FM)
WBPW Radio (96.9 FM);WQHR Radio (96.1 FM); WOZI Radio (101.9 FM)

For school cancellations, the call is made before 5:30 a.m. whenever possible. The television and radio stations are then responsible for putting the information on the air.

Canceling or delaying school, like in weather forecasting, is not an exact science. The decision is made with the safety of our students being our primary concern.

When we decide to dismiss students early due to stormy weather conditions, morning students in our pre-kindergarten program will eat lunch at school and stay at school to be dismissed with other students at Dr. Levesque Elementary School. There will be no school on those days for afternoon students in kindergarten.

Being a bus driver on days of inclement weather can be very stressful. It demands attentiveness, knowledge, and outstanding driving skills. MSAD #33 prides itself in having an exceptional record in bringing kids to and from school safely every day, but especially on stormy days. Our children are in good hands. Don't forget to thank your child's bus driver for making your child's safety his number 1 responsibility.

Dr. Fern Desjardins
Superintendent of Schools