Winter Weather Procedures

December 22, 2022

Dear Chappaqua Central School District Families,

I hope this message finds you well. Friday’s (12/23) weather forecast calls for high winds, heavy rainfall, and a temperature drop which may result in power outages or slick roads. With this in mind, I wanted to share the procedures we will follow tomorrow and throughout the winter for weather events that impact our ability to open one or more schools.

First and foremost, let me reassure you that I know how important it is for our schools to be open for our children. I take my responsibility in this area with the utmost seriousness. When faced with a weather-related decision, you can generally expect the District website and social media accounts to be updated by 5:00 a.m. and to receive a communication from our ParentSquare emergency notification system by 5:30 a.m. It is rare to have to make an initial decision after 5:30 a.m., although it does happen in rare instances.

We have five snow days built into the District calendar. We know that homes often lose internet and/or power in storms and that many faculty have their own children to attend to due to school closings, so we will use these five days before shifting to remote instruction for any additional closures. When the District is closed or on remote instruction, all extracurricular activities and space reservations on that day are canceled.

There may be times when one of our six schools may be unable to open due to power outages, road blockages, and so forth. Should this be the case, only the school affected will learn remotely with a two-hour delayed start, while all other schools will be open for in-person instruction at their regular time. In the event this occurs, I will send a District notification in the morning to our impacted families. Follow-up information will be shared with parents prior to the start of the school day by the building principal.

Should tomorrow’s (12/23) weather impact our normal school schedule, I will send out a separate communication using the emergency notification system. I may also send an update this afternoon addressing a potential early dismissal. Thank you for your understanding and support.

Sincerely,

Christine Ackerman, PhD 
Superintendent of Schools