School Closings due to severe weather or emergencies:
When unusually severe weather or other emergencies occur, the Salamanca City Central School District will close to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Decisions and announcements are made as early as possible, usually by 6:00 AM and parents should anticipate school closings or early dismissals and arrange to be at home when these schedule changes must be made. When the Salamanca City Central School District is closed due to inclement weather, transportation will NOT be provided to other public and non-public schools. Continuing Education classes and ALL extra-curricular activities, including athletics are also cancelled when school is closed.Please listen to or go to the web sites of the following radio and/or TV stations & local cable channel 13 for the latest information:
WHDL/WPIG 95.7 FM
WBFO 88.7 FM
WBEN 930AM
Global Connect All Call System (Robo Text, email and call)
District Website & Facebook Page
SCHOOL CLOSING INFORMATION FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT:
Dear Parents:
As we approach the winter months, I want to communicate with you on the important issue of weather-related emergency school closings. As a parent, I too am keenly aware of the many plans for childcare that come with snow and other inclement weather conditions. I want to take a few moments to outline our procedures for closure and delays. In the southern-tier we all know- “Winter is Inevitable!”
For a significant period of time (November to April), district transportation personnel and I closely monitor road conditions beginning as early as 4:00 AM. This includes roads in all towns in our school district and surrounding areas. In inclement weather, district personnel speak with the NYS Department of Transportation, Salamanca DPW, state and local police personnel as well. If there is a safety concern, I speak directly with transportation personnel. I have driven the respective routes as a ride along passenger and am aware of the difficulty weather plays in navigating to some of the roads and streets within the district. Safety is our main priority.
In the vast majority of circumstances, the decision to close or delay is made by 6:00 AM and posted (in order) on our Website, Facebook page, Twitter account and called into local media outlets. A listing of these emergency closing contacts (social media, radio and television stations) can be found on the back side of this correspondence. We also make announcements via Blackboard Direct (robo-call).
Decisions to delay are made for one of two reasons: (1) when the weather bureau has indicated that the conditions present between 6:35 - 8:00 AM will be temporary and improving weather is expected, or (2) the weather bureau has expressed uncertainty and I feel we may need more time to make a decision on whether school should be closed. The decision to delay can change into a closing, but once the decision to close is made, the discussion ends and the decision to remain closed will stand, regardless of subsequent weather patterns.
There are a few more points that I would like to make:
School buses are very safe for children to be in - they are heavy, well maintained and driven by well-trained and qualified individuals here at Salamanca. In inclement weather conditions, students are much safer in buses than in cars.
Snow itself rarely closes school. The fact that there is a snowstorm approaching shouldn't be overly concerning. Visibility, road conditions, ice build-up and the status of plowing are more important issues to consider. Eight inches of snow or more in this area is not unusual.
Cold weather and the wind chill factor make the decision to close or delay very complicated as there is no “magic” number or temperature to automatically close or delay school. We truly factor into the decision all aspects of the current weather patterns and conditions.
The district understands that many families need to make alternate arrangements for their children when school is delayed, canceled, or dismissed early. These are stressful times for many parents. The whereabouts and safety concerns of children are paramount for parents and educators. The best advice I can give is to work on developing a network of support that can react and adjust to changing conditions when weather becomes a problem. Planning ahead is critically important - for parents and the school district. As a parent, I know it is not easy. I want to reiterate that parents are the final authority as to whether or not it is safe for your child to go to school. If you believe that the weather is too unsettled, your best decision may be to keep your child home.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mark D. Beehler
Superintendent
