Dear Batavia Families,

Lately, it seems all I have communicated with you about is the weather! So, if you could bear with me one more time, I do want to share a brief update with you related to the weather.

Every single snow and closing day is different—every single one! 

One of the options we have besides closing is calling for a one or two-hour delay, which has not been done in Batavia for quite some time. This past week, when we closed on Tuesday, it would have been an ideal time to implement a delay.  However, I wanted first to make sure everyone was prepared for what a delay looks like. 

In its simplest terms, a one or two-hour delay means we will start school one or two hours later to allow time for the roads to be cleared and ensure safe travel. 

What does this mean for bus pick-up times? The same thing: your child(ren)’s buses will arrive one or two hours later than the regular pick-up time. 

For example, if the bus typically comes to your home at 7:02 am, it would come at 8:02 am for a one-hour delay or 9:02 am for a two-hour delay. All morning activities prior to the start of school will also be canceled. Dismissal would be held at the regular time.

In addition, we will post a schedule on the website in advance to accommodate any necessary planning. This schedule will be outlined for each building, and once it is posted, it will serve as the delay schedule.

While I completely understand delays may be a challenge for working families, at the same time, I want to do as much as possible to have our students in school—as long as it’s safe. In addition, we only have a limited number of days for closing before it starts impacting our regular school calendar.

When school is closed, it is normal to also cancel after-school activities, as we did twice in December. However, with the unique weather over the past two weeks, the change in the forecast on Tuesday afternoon allowed for these activities to go on as planned—which allowed us to keep our students engaged and connected with school, which is always my goal. 

As always, it is your choice to send your child(ren) to after-school activities on snow days, and there will not be penalties imposed when you choose to keep them home. As I stated above, every single snow day is different, and sometimes, a little flexibility and discretion are appropriate.

I appreciate your patience and understanding.  I know full well that every decision will not please every family and community member, but my goal is to do what is best for our entire district with the information I have in front of me at the time.

Have a great weekend, and let’s hope for some warm weather!

Jason A. Smith

Superintendent of Schools

585-343-2480, ext. 1000

Jasonsmith@bataviacsd.org