Overview

Student and faculty safety is the first concern of Vestavia Hills City Schools. VHCS officials continuously monitor weather reports through working relationships with the National Weather Service, the Jefferson County EMA, neighboring school systems, and the Vestavia Hills Police Department. The school system strives to err on the side of caution whenever inclement weather threatens school operations. 

VHCS will promptly notify parents and the community whenever severe weather requires schools to close, open late, or dismiss early. Decisions are announced after it is determined with certainty that the school day will be impacted by inclement weather. VHCS uses all available communication channels to announce these decisions. Our primary method of communication with families is our rapid notification system. Parents should also review the telephone number(s) and email address(es) on file with their student’s school for notifications.

Delayed Opening

If severe weather occurs overnight or during the early morning hours, a decision may be made for school openings to be delayed. When this happens, schools may follow a modified lunch and bell schedule. Depending on the length of the delay, breakfast may not be served. End-of-day dismissal schedules will not change. Any activities scheduled before school (such as Early Bird) will be cancelled or postponed.

To determine your school’s delayed start time, add the total number of hours of the delay to the times shown below. (Example: For a delay of 2 hours, the start time at VHEE would be 9:45 a.m.)

Early Dismissal

If severe weather is predicted to occur later in the school day, a decision may be made to dismiss schools early. VHCS officials will monitor conditions throughout the day to ensure student safety. Carpool will run on a modified schedule based on the time of the dismissal. After-school Extended Day services, athletic events, practices, and other extracurricular activities will be cancelled or postponed.

To determine your school’s early dismissal time, subtract the total number of hours of the dismissal from the times shown below. (Example: For a dismissal 2 hours early, the dismissal time at VHEE would be 12:35 p.m.)

School Closings

If schools must be closed for an entire day, the missed day will be made up later in the year. An exception occurs when state or federal officials declare a state of emergency for our area. When this occurs, a make-up day is not required. 

Reminders

• Parents are encouraged to keep contact information up to date in Chalkable, which feeds into our rapid notification system. To update your contact information, please contact your school’s office.
• All weather-related messages will include the name of the school or district in the text of the announcement.
• For student safety, parents are not allowed to check out students during active tornado warnings.
• The following communication outlets are utilized by VHCS for weather announcements:
  • VHCS Rapid Notification System (phone call, text message, email)
  • VHCS Website (www.vhcs.us)
  • VHCS Mobile App for iOS and Android
  • VHCS Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.)
  • Local Media (TV, radio, newspaper)