Essex Westford School Closings Today — Live Status & Delays (Vermont)

Are Essex Westford schools closed today? Check live status below — updated every 10 minutes.

Live status monitored for Essex Westford School District (EWSD), Champlain Valley School District (CVSD), South Burlington School District (SBSD), Colchester School District (CSD), and Milton Town School District (MTSD).

How Essex Westford School Closures Are Announced

The Essex Westford School District (EWSD) posts closure and delay decisions on its official website, ewsd.org. The call is made by the Superintendent in consultation with the district’s Director of Facilities and District Safety, local police and public works departments, and the district’s bus companies — factors that include temperature and wind chill for students who walk or wait outside for buses, and consultation with neighboring superintendents. Once a decision is made, EWSD’s automated emergency notification system contacts families directly by email and by the primary and secondary phone numbers on file with each school, so families don’t have to rely solely on checking the website or the news.

For the fastest confirmation, Chittenden County families can also check local TV coverage. Burlington-market stations WCAX-3 (CBS), WPTZ NBC5, and WVNY ABC22 / WFFF FOX44 (sharing one newsroom in Colchester) all publish live school-closing lists during active weather events, typically starting in the very early morning. This page automatically monitors EWSD’s own site alongside all three TV sources, so you don’t need to check them individually. EWSD typically aims to announce a closure or delay as early as possible, ideally by early morning, so families have time to arrange childcare or adjust commutes.

Weather Risks That Can Close Essex Westford Schools

• Winter storms and heavy snow: A fast-moving nor’easter or lake-effect snow band off Lake Champlain can drop several inches faster than plow crews can clear rural roads in Westford and outer Essex Town, even when Essex Junction’s village streets stay passable.
• Ice storms and freezing rain: A thin glaze of ice on roads, sidewalks, and power lines is one of the most dangerous winter hazards in Vermont — it can make bus routes unsafe even without heavy snowfall, and can also trigger power outages that affect school buildings.
• Sub-zero wind chill: Extreme cold advisories matter for a district where some students walk to school or wait outside for buses; EWSD explicitly weighs wind chill risk to students in its closure decision.
• Spring flooding: Heavy rain or rapid snowmelt can raise water levels on streams feeding Lake Champlain, occasionally affecting roads in Westford’s more rural areas and low-lying parts of Essex Town.
• Whiteout or blowing-snow conditions: Open stretches of road between Essex Junction and Westford can see reduced visibility during windy snow events even after plowing, a factor considered separately from total accumulation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How early does Essex Westford School District announce school closures?

EWSD aims to announce closures and delays as early as possible, ideally by early morning, once the Superintendent has consulted with the district’s safety director, local police and public works, and the district’s bus companies. Families enrolled with the district receive the decision through EWSD’s automated emergency notification system by email and phone.

What’s the difference between a closure and a delay for EWSD?

A closure means all EWSD schools are shut for the full day, with no in-person classes. A delay (most commonly a two-hour delay) pushes the start of the school day back to give crews more time to treat roads and clear snow, while dismissal times generally stay the same. EWSD has announced both closures and multi-hour delays in past winters depending on conditions.

Do all Essex Westford schools close at the same time, or by individual school?

EWSD makes one district-wide decision that applies to all of its schools at once — Essex High School, Essex Middle School, Albert D. Lawton School, Founders Memorial School, Thomas Fleming School, Essex Elementary School, Hiawatha Elementary School, Summit Street School, Westford School, and the Center for Technology, Essex all follow the same closure, delay, or open status on a given day. This page also monitors neighboring Chittenden County districts individually, since they each make their own separate decisions.

Which local TV stations report Essex Westford school closings?

WCAX-3 (CBS), WPTZ NBC5, and WVNY ABC22 / WFFF FOX44 are the primary Burlington-market TV stations that report Chittenden County school closings, including EWSD and its neighboring districts. This page automatically monitors all of them alongside EWSD’s own official website, so you get the fastest available detection without checking multiple sources.

How often is this page updated?

Status checks run automatically every 15 minutes, or every 5 minutes during active weather alerts, pulling from EWSD’s official site and the local TV sources above.

Are there other school districts near Essex Westford I should check?

Yes — this page also tracks Champlain Valley School District, South Burlington School District, Colchester School District, and Milton Town School District, since many Chittenden County families cross district lines for work, childcare, or school choice and want one page to check for the whole area.

Essex Westford School District — Full School Roster

High Schools

• Essex High School

Career & Specialty

• Center for Technology, Essex

Middle Schools

• Essex Middle School
• Albert D. Lawton School

Upper Elementary Schools (Grades 3–5)

• Founders Memorial School
• Thomas Fleming School

Elementary Schools (PreK–2)

• Essex Elementary School
• Hiawatha Elementary School
• Summit Street School

PreK–8

• Westford School