Emergency Procedures

St. John Paul II Catholic School has a Crisis Management Handbook and procedures in place to properly deal with emergency situations.

A variety of monthly drills are held to prepare staff and students on the proper procedures to follow in an emergency situation.

How Do We Make the Decision?
Please know that we make the decision to open or close the school in bad weather based on the information we know as fact at the time. This may include:

• Weather predictions - at StJPII, we prefer to not make our decision based only on the forecast, since it is not always accurate.
• Are neighboring ISDs closing? We will consider how HISD, KISD, and/or Spring Branch ISD are handling the situation and then make our determination based on what is best for StJPII.
• Current weather and road conditions in the area surrounding school. 

Who Makes the Final Decision?
The Principal is responsible for the final decision, based on the several factors shared above. Rest assured, these decisions are made prayerfully for the safety of our entire community.

How are Parents Notified? 
If school needs to be closed or delayed, the school will notify staff and families using the IRIS (Immediate Response Information System) which allows the administration to email and call everyone within a matter of minutes.  Additionally, we will post messages on our Facebook page. However, It is imperative that staff and families make sure the school always has the most up-to-date emails and phone numbers for this purpose.

Although my staff and I do our very best in making these decisions, we know there is no perfect choice. If you feel, based on current weather conditions near your home that it is not safe for your child(ren) to attend school, then please send a note to your teacher(s).

Media Sources to refer to for Emergencies:

KHOU	Channel 11