February 17, 2023
Dear Greene Central School District Families and Staff,
The New York State Education Department requires that school districts be in session for a specific number of days each year. With at least two months of winter weather still to go, Greene CSD has already used three of its five emergency (snow) days. In the interest of student safety, and meeting NYS guidelines for attendance, GCS is preparing to possibly use remote learning days during emergency closures. These remote days will only be used, if needed, after the use of our remaining emergency days for this school year. These remote instructional days would be implemented for any additional snow days or emergency closings to avoid being forced to take back days from the April break. After the April break the district does not have any additional days that it could take back in the case of an emergency closure.
In recent years, we've had to use emergency days for weather-related events outside of the normal winter weather months. For example, last year, GCS used two emergency days after a snowstorm and power outage in mid-April. In the past we have also had to utilize emergency closures due to flooding and power outages.
The goal is always to provide in-person learning; however, remote learning days gives the district more flexibility as it moves through the year and helps to avoid situations where we may need to be in session during a scheduled vacation.
Last fall, NYSED set certain standards that need to be met for districts when they use remote learning days in place of emergency closures. Districts throughout the region and NYS are communicating similar plans to their communities for this school year.
Soon the district will release more information for families, so you know what the expectations will be if we are required to utilize a remote learning day. In addition, these guidelines will be posted to the school website for ease of accessibility and communicated to families and students in the event that GCS shifts to a remote learning day due to closure, which could occur with little notice due to weather conditions.
Our top priority is the safety of our students, their families, and our staff. We thank you for your cooperation as we prepare for the unpredictable weather of Upstate New York.
Sincerely,
Timothy M. Calice
Superintendent of Schools