• School Board members this week selected a preferred superintendent candidate, Kelt Cooper, out of six semifinalists they interviewed over the weekend. Cooper is a bilingual doctoral candidate with more than a decade of award-winning superintendent experience. As the next step in the hiring process, Cooper will visit the District next week. Community members can meet him at a reception from 7-8:30 p.m., Monday, March 5, at the Administration Building, 565 N.W. Holly St., or at a coffee from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 6, in the Eagle Room at City Hall, 130 E. Sunset Way.

• The state has granted the District a special waiver that allows schools to make up one missed school day by adding the instructional minutes to already existing school days. Therefore, the last day of school is now Monday, June 25, and schools will operate on a normal schedule-with regular bell times, not shortened LIC schedules-on two Wednesdays, March 14 and April 18.

• You know District students are stellar, but here's more proof: an Issaquah High sophomore was one of only 26 students nationwide to ace the ACT college-admission exam administered in December. Need more proof? Eight seniors are National Merit Scholarship finalists, representing less than 1 percent of their graduating class nationwide.

• The District and teachers union bargaining teams met Tuesday to begin contract negotiations.

• We apologize if your E-News message about today's delayed school start reached your inbox too late. Our listserv encountered technical difficulties. Because our computer servers can be affected by the weather conditions we are trying to communicate about, here are alternate ways to make sure you receive emergency information in the future:

Sign up to receive Issaquah messages at www.schoolreport.org and/or check this website for information the morning after inclement weather. This is the local Education Service District's system that serves as a clearing house to alert local media about school closures and delays. Every message posted for the Issaquah school system corresponds with the Emergency Transportation Bulletin that was mailed to each family in the fall (also available online). Today, you will not be able to subscribe, but check back tomorrow-when the school alerts are no longer necessary, the subscription button will become available.

Check local radio and television stations.

Call your school's main phone number or the District's main phone number. We record updated voicemail messages when schools are delayed and closured.