Heat Procedures in Coming Days

Dear WUSD Community:

Yahushua's Law (California Senate Bill 1248) requires all California public, charter, and county schools to implement standardized weather safety protocols for outdoor physical activities as of July 1, 2026. On June 8, 2026, the Windsor Unified School District Board of Trustees adopted compliant weather guidelines based on State of California guidelines. 

As we are predicted to encounter hot weather over the next few days, we wanted to share those guidelines with you as they relate to heat management at our schools.

Here in Windsor, we are blessed with generally great weather, but Sonoma County tends to experience significant daily temperature shifts, even on hot days. Therefore, while morning recess or lunch might be a manageable temperature, pick-up/after-school activities may find themselves in a high-temperature environment. Finally, we as a District serve preschool through 12th grade students, and there is a wide range of self-advocacy in that age range. 

To account for this, we have divided our guidelines into two separate categories, elementary and secondary (preschool is included in elementary):

• Elementary:

  • Preschool through 5th grade will use the CDPH CalHeatScore Tool, which requires us to:

    • Modify activity at HeatRisk ≥2 (Orange).

    • Cancel outdoor activities at HeatRisk ≥3 (Red/Magenta). 

  • If in the orange, lunch, recess, and outdoor activities will not be stopped; however, we will monitor the situation and provide, to students who need it, access to indoor or shaded space. 

  • If in the red, students will be kept indoors as much as possible; however, they may still be outside in shaded areas such as lunch spaces. Our open campuses mean they will occasionally need to walk outdoors between classes, or when getting their snack or lunch. Having said that, play will be confined to indoor spaces.

  • Temperatures will be checked via the CDPH CalHeatScore Tool by the District three times a day, and families and staff will be notified by a ParentSquare Alert if a site is moving into an "Inclement Weather” plan. Due to the extreme temperature shifts occurring throughout the day, it is likely that a morning recess or even lunch recess will not fall under a Heat Warning, but after-school programs and activities may. 

  • If we are moving to the Inclement Weather plan due to heat, access to classrooms will be provided, similar to the inclement weather plan for rain. 

• Secondary:

  • 6th grade and above will follow the guidelines set out by the California Interscholastic Federation found here: Extreme Heat and Air Quality Policy

  • A “wet bulb” temperature will be taken (per CIF guidelines) to determine activities related to PE classes, outdoor activities, and after-school activities and practices. 

Families, we strongly recommend that you also discuss with your children, of all ages, the importance of self-monitoring and self-care. Even the youngest student should be empowered to rest, get a drink of water, or ask for help if they are feeling hot or uncomfortable. Heat tolerance can vary widely among individuals, so your children should always feel comfortable sharing their needs with staff.  You should also provide refillable water bottles, as water stations are available at all sites.

We hope these guidelines provide clarity and peace of mind for staff, families, and students. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to me at jdecker@wusd.org.

Jeremy Decker

Superintendent

Windsor Unified School District