This year the Binghamton City School District will be utilizing five built-in snow days, which will be non-instructional days. If all five snow days are used, the district will identify future days needed for inclement weather as remote learning days. Faculty and students will be expected to sign-in to Google Classroom to access instruction. This will help avoid interruption to designated vacation days, avoid extending the school year and ensure the district is able to access full state funding. If all five snow days are used, we will notify families of this change.
The following are general guidelines followed when determining a delay or closure:
● For snow, ice, or other weather-related delays, we monitor the current conditions and the forecasted conditions for travel between the times of 5:30 to 11 a.m. BCSD takes into consideration the ability of staff to plow parking lots and sidewalks, as well as the ability of local municipalities to plow and make streets passable. First Student, is contacted to ensure our buses can run safely. Additionally, the district contacts neighboring districts, local and state officials, and meteorologists to make the most appropriate decision. Sixty percent of Binghamton students walk to school, which can result in different delay issues than area school districts.
● Start times for one, two and three-hour delays will occur one, two, or three hours following the schools' normal start times, respectively. In the event of a two or three-hour delay, morning Pre-K classes will be canceled.
● Schools will also be closed if there is a forecasted sustained wind chill of -30 degrees Fahrenheit or colder or when the actual wind chill is a sustained -15 degrees Fahrenheit or colder between the travel times of 5:30 – 10 a.m. and/or 2:30 – 5:30 p.m.
● If extreme high temperatures are experienced and sustained in our buildings, the district may also elect to delay or close school.
● If school is delayed or closed, we make every attempt to provide notification by 6 a.m. the day of the closing. In extreme weather conditions, we may announce a delay or closure the prior evening between 6 and 9:30 p.m.
● When school is closed due to inclement weather, all extracurricular programs and school meetings (except for board meetings) are canceled. If there is a remote day called, school meetings will be held.
● On page one of the Board of Education Attendance Policy #7110, families may keep their student(s) at home in the event of impassable roads due to inclement weather. We ask that you let your student(s) building(s) know and the tardy or absence will be noted as excused.
Notifications of delays and closures are made through local media outlets, automated calls, e-mails, and postings to the district website. Please download the district app to receive free push notifications.