Schools release closing lists to announce the days on which they will stay shut because of various reasons. These lists are also used to inform parents about any delay in school timings. Schools closing lists are usually released during bad weather conditions, national emergencies, and other situations where children would be in danger if they stepped out of their homes for school. Following are some of the reasons why schools announce closing lists. Please note that the reasons behind these closing lists vary from state to state because every state has different conditions for this.

Public holidays and celebrations
One of the most common reasons why schools release closing lists is to inform parents about the dates on which they will remain shut for state or national holidays such as Independence Day, Thanksgiving, etc. Parents need to know some of these holidays in advance to plan their day and celebrations accordingly. All schools have to release an annual list where they mention all the dates on which the school will stay closed. These lists help parents avoid a lot of confusion. They are also helpful for planning vacations in advance.

Bad weather school closing lists
When a particular city or state is experiencing bad weather, the state officials declare precautionary holidays for school children. All schools have to strictly follow these announcements made by government officials to ensure that kids stay safe in situations such as floods, storms, hot weather, and other drastic weather conditions. At such times, schools release a closing list with the number of days off and other relevant instructions, if any. Local government bodies, newspapers, and news websites also publish school closing lists. Parents are supposed to look for the school’s name in these lists.

National emergencies
On rare occasions, school closing lists are announced such as in case of national emergencies like a terrorist attack, the spread of a contagious disease, and other serious reasons that call for the temporary closure of institutions like schools.

Teacher’s strike
Again, this is a rare reason to release a school closing list. When teachers go on a strike in city, county or state, schools are forced to stay closed for a few days or until normalcy is restored. If it is a large scale strike, then the state education authorities create a school closing list and share it on relevant mediums so that parents and students are informed and updated about the situation.