As the snowy months approach, the Voorheesville Central School District reminds parents and guardians how they will receive notice if school will be operating under a delay or will be closed due to inclement weather. The district will contact you through SchoolMessenger if there are any changes in the daily school schedule. Information will also be posted on our website and shared with local media outlets.
Safety is our number one priority in determining how to respond to winter storms. Additional factors that we consider include:
Timing – Keeping an eye on the clock is critical. A decision must be made before buses leave to pick up students, students head out to bus stops or begin walking to school, and parents, students and staff start driving to school.
Road conditions – Winter storms can make for messy road conditions, and the severity of those conditions may vary within district boundaries. While some parts of a district may have little snow and clear roads, another area could get pummeled, slowing road crews as they work to clear streets for safe travel. All roads need to be passable for buses to begin their routes.
Staff attendance – Some staff members may not be able to make it to work, causing the district to scramble to find substitutes or other means to properly supervise students.
Buses – Extreme cold weather can affect bus operations, delaying when students are picked up.
Unsupervised students – Students in school are under direct supervision while students at home may not be.
Loss of breakfast and lunch – Some students and their families rely on their schools to provide healthy meals.
Loss of class time – Studies show that even a small number of missed days has an impact on student learning.
Scheduled events – On any school day, there are planned events that would need to be canceled or rescheduled if school is closed, such as after-school activities, sporting events, field trips, exams, assemblies and presentations and classroom lessons and activities.
School calendar – New York state requires districts to meet a required number of instructional hours per school year. If school closures cause a district to dip below that requirement, vacations might be shortened or the school year extended.
Delay/early release – These options allow for some flexibility to deal with the timing of a storm and still have an instructional day.
Please remember that neighboring districts have differing needs and challenges when determining the best options during inclement weather. Again, safety is our top priority.