Stay informed, and stay in touch
There are a variety of information sources you can monitor to stay up to date on our school district's decisions to close school or shorten the day, or postpone programs and events due to the cold or other factors, including:
SchoolMessenger
Local media
You can find information from the Times Union and on the following radio and TV stations: CBS6 Albany (Ch. 6), TWC (Ch. 9), WTEN (Ch. 10), WNYT (Ch. 13), WROW-AM 590, WGY-AM 810, WFLY-FM 92.3, WYJB-FM 95.5, WTRY-FM 98.3, WRVE-FM 99.5, WPYX-FM 106.5, WGNA-FM 107.7
In instances where the district decides a late start is in order, school will begin two hours later than the normal start time. A delay means if your child's bus normally picks up at 8 a.m., your child would be picked up at 10 a.m. for a two-hour delay.
If you usually drop your child off at school or your child walks to school, please make sure it corresponds with the delay. Please do not send your child to school at the normal start time when school is delayed. The building will not be open, and there will be no staff available to supervise children. Please also note that breakfast is not served at school on mornings that begin with a delay.
When it is necessary to close school early, the superintendent will commence with an early release of all schools either one, two or three hours earlier than their typical dismissal time. It is our goal on early release days to have a minimum of four hours of instruction.
In addition, when school closes early all after-school activities and childcare services are cancelled unless otherwise announced. If your child is transported to an after-school program and school closes early, you must make arrangements to have your child picked up at the school building. No alternate transportation arrangements can be made on short notice.
Parents and guardians, do your best to see that children are properly clothed and not allowed to remain outdoors in extreme weather conditions, which include temperatures in the single digits or below and wind chills of minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit or colder. Monitor the weather and attempt to dress your children appropriately to go outside.
Also, discuss the following information with your children:
- Children who go outside in extreme weather must tell an adult if they feel cold, if they feel pain or numbness, if they see a color change in any part of their body or if their boots and gloves get wet. If this happens at school, the child should see the nurse to be warmed, given dry clothing and evaluated for frostbite.
- Children should be instructed not to remain outdoors for longer than five minutes in extreme temperatures, and should know to come in sooner if they are cold, feeling pain or numbness in their hands, feet, ears or noses, or if their clothing, especially boots or gloves, becomes wet.
- Parents and guardians should avoid leaving a child completely unattended outside before pick-up and should discuss with the child what to do in an emergency or bus delay if the parent or guardian already has left for work. If required, it is crucial that your child has a safe and warm alternative while waiting for the bus.
Download our complete procedures for weather-related closings, delays and other emergencies.
'Snow day' not just for snow
It's not just snow that makes a "snow day."
Snow and ice cause most weather-related school closings and delays. But since thousands of students walk to and from school each day in our district, we also closely monitor severe cold and wind-chill conditions.
If the temperature drops into the single digits or below zero, or if the wind chill dips below minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit or colder, the district may delay school or dismiss early. Wind chills of minus 40 degrees are considered dangerous and a medical reason to close school and suspend outdoor activity, including interscholastic outdoor sports.
The safety of students, staff and families drives any decision to delay, close early or cancel school because of the weather.
