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Emergency Days

Commonly asked questions 

How many "snow days" are built into the district's calendar? 

Our District calendar has 6 emergency days built in. The number of emergencies built into a district calendar is determined by the district. These days of non-instruction can be used as "snow days" or for other emergencies. As an example, they could also be used for flooding, a broken water pipe, or power outages.   

What goes into the decision-making process when it comes to inclement weather? How does the geography of the district factor into the decision? 

When making a decision about inclement weather the following items are considered:

  • Forecast: We subscribe to a weather service which provides reports and the ability to talk to a meteorologist over the phone, in addition to free forecasts available online
  • Timing: when is the weather predicted to have an impact on our area
  • Out of District Student Placements: the ability for us to transport students to out of district placements
  • Road Conditions: The ability for our buses to travel on designated routes and the ability of our students, staff, and families to travel safely. 
Who is involved in the process? 

Our head bus driver, maintenance foreman completes road checks starting at 4:30 AM and communicates with the Town of Saugerties, Village of Saugerties, Ulster County, and myself. We maintain a list of problematic roads in our attendance zone and are sure to check those roads.  

Are there any deadlines, loose or firm, by which time the district determines whether to close or delay school? What about closing school early or canceling after-school activities? 

In the ideal situation we will notify families of a delay or cancellation by 5:30 AM, a full hour prior to the first student being picked up. When considering closing early, we need to decide if lunch will be served to all students or if we need to dismiss prior to the first lunch being distributed. We also need to provide at least an hour's notice to our bus contractors so that they can reach their drivers and have them ready for our students.  A cancellation of after school activities will be announced by 1PM to allow for students and families to make arrangements for all students to arrive home on time.  

How is the school community notified of weather issues? 

We send a text message, voice message, and an email though our Student Management System. 

In addition we will post a notice on our website and post to our social media pages (Facebook and Instagram). Our Computer/Video Production students have been developing 2-hour delay and snow day videos for social media as well.