Winter weather can make it difficult or impossible to get to school safely. If it is not safe for students or staff to get to school in the morning, Manchester School District has two options:

• Closed: All schools are closed for the day

• Two-hour delay: All schools open two hours later than normal – scroll down to see start times with a two-hour delay

We do occasionally close schools due to other weather conditions, such as extreme heat. 

Please note that the MSD central office operates its regular business hours, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm, in any of the above scenarios. We do our best with the information we have at the time of deciding a school closure or delay. If you do not feel it is safe for your child to attend school on a particular day, use your judgment to determine what is best for your family.

The superintendent makes the decision to close school, delay its opening or dismiss students early. In making these decisions, the superintendent consults with a variety of sources in addition to the weather forecasts. These sources include:

• City departments and divisions, including Highway, Facilities, Police and Fire

• Aramark (school grounds maintenance)

• Manchester Transit Association (buses)

• Surrounding school district superintendents

• State Department of Homeland Security

• WMUR meteorologists

We know that closing or delaying school can be a challenge for families. It is our goal to announce any decision as soon as possible. In rare cases when the likelihood of a storm is certain, we will announce the decision the day before. More often, we announce the decision the morning of the storm event. 

When we close or delay the start of school, we work to make sure families, staff and the community at large see it quickly. The announcement is:

• Emergency notifications: Sent to staff and families by email, text message and phone call

• District website: Posted at the top of the district website, www.mansd.org 

• Social media: Posted on the district’s Facebook and Twitter accounts

• Nixle: Shared on the Nixle alert service

• TV/radio: Shared with WMUR television and WZID radio