With winter weather on the way, I wanted to take a minute to explain how I decide whether to delay or cancel school.
The day before a storm, I’m usually keeping an eye on local weather channels and talking with our transportation supervisor about the potential for a delay or snow day. The next morning, I get up around 3:30am to assess conditions on local weather channels, communicate with superintendents from surrounding districts, and check in again with our transportation supervisor, who stays in contact with the local highway departments.
Once a decision is made, I contact the local news stations while the District Office uses our mass communication system to send an email and text message, and post on social media. Additionally, they schedule a phone call to go out at 6:00am to alert families. Based on community feedback, we try not to make weather-related phone calls before 6:00am or after 9:00pm. This is why, in some instances, you receive a text message and email (or see it on social media) before you receive a phone call.
Why aren’t snow days called the night before?
My goal is always to “call it” as early as possible. However, it’s very rare for a snow day to be called the night before. This typically only happens if it begins snowing at night and is predicted to last through the morning. The reality is, weather predictions can change. I recognize the amount of schedule-shuffling and accommodations that need to be made for child care and transportation, and these decisions are never made lightly. The last thing I want is to make the call and find out the storm has shifted.
Why do we have snow days if there’s not a lot of snow on the ground in Greenville?
The short answer is elevation. Our district is geographically unique in that it encompasses residences of several different elevations across 135 square miles, so while in Greenville the weather may be less severe, in places like the hilltowns, the roads may be impassable.
Our transportation supervisor communicates with the towns and highway departments, and together we assess conditions across the many miles of rural roads our bus routes cover (1,700 miles through 11 townships and three counties). In making the final decision to delay or close school, we consider the entire geographical area of our district. So, if a snow day is called and you don’t notice poor road conditions near the school, just remember that elevation plays a big role in our district, and it was likely the road conditions in the hilltowns that led to the decision.
How will I know if there’s a delay or closing?
Weather-related school closings and delay notifications will be communicated to families of students by email, text and phone call. Additionally, this information will be communicated on Facebook, Instagram, the district website, WNYT TV-News Channel 13, WRGB TV-CBS 6, WTEN TV-News 10 ABC, WXXA TV-Fox 23, 103.1FM/810AM WGY, 92.3FM WFLY-Fly, 99.5FM WRVE The River, B95.5FM WYJB, the Post Star, the Times Union, and Spectrum News.
Do I have to receive a text, email AND phone call?
Yes. We use our emergency communication system to notify families of a delay or closing. While some families may receive the message via email or text, others in our District don’t have reliable internet at home and need a phone call to receive it. At this point, our mass communication system cannot send a separate phone call to those who don’t receive a text or email - which is why everyone receives a text, email, and phone call.
What is the delay schedule?
In the event of a two-hour delay, breakfast is not served and dismissal times remain the same.
UPK begins at 10:40am.
K-5 begins at 9:55am.
Grades 6-12 follow a modified schedule (see below). Please pay special attention to the period order, which shifts so we’re able to keep lunches at the same time that they usually are. While it may seem confusing, this shift is important because breakfast is not served, and if we kept the period order the same, there would be some students who wouldn’t get to eat lunch until an hour before dismissal!
Warning Bell 10:06
Period 1 10:08-10:35
Period 4 10:38-11:08
Period 5 11:11-11:41
Period 6 11:44-12:14
Period 7 12:17-12:47
Period 2 12:50-1:17
Period 3 1:20 - 1:47
Period 8 1:50-2:16
Period 9 2:19-2:45
There is no morning Questar program for high school students.
How is the MS/HS letter day impacted if there’s a snow day?
On a snow day, the Middle/High School letter day calendar shifts. For example, if Monday is an A Day and we have a snow day, when students return to school on Tuesday, it will NOT be a B Day, it will be an A day. The calendar will be adjusted accordingly.
As always, please stay safe this winter. For questions about weather-related communications, please contact our School Communications Specialist, Sierra Pizzola, at pizzolas@greenvillecsd.org or 518-966-5070 x523.
Michael Bennett
Superintendent of Schools