ONE HOUR DELAY: On those bad weather days, when the weather would appear to be ending on or about 6 a.m., the District will call for a one-hour delay. Therefore, the Middle and High School will begin their day at 8:40 a.m. and Cayuga Heights Elementary will begin their day at 10:05 a.m. with scheduled bus pick-ups, for both in-District and out-of-District placements, to also be delayed by exactly one hour. However, if the out-of-District placements close for the day, there will not be any pick-up for those students. Breakfast will still be served for our students on a one-hour delay. Please note that the dismissals for each of the buildings will remain the same and not be affected by a delayed start.

TWO HOUR DELAY: On those bad weather days, when the weather would appear to be ending on or about 7 a.m., the District will call for a two-hour delay. Therefore, the Middle and High School will begin their day at 9:40 a.m. and Cayuga Heights Elementary will begin their day at 11:05 a.m. with scheduled bus pick-ups, for both in-District and out-of-District placements, to also be delayed by exactly two hours. However, if the out-of-District placements close for the day, there will not be any pick-up for those students. Please note that the dismissals for each of the buildings will remain the same and not be affected by a delayed start.

It is important to note that in either scenario, if the bad weather persists throughout the morning and the delayed time period, which would indicate that there is a concern for student safety, the District would then make the decision to close and call for a full snow day. If you should have any questions about our protocol, please feel free to contact the superintendent’s office at (716) 686-5104.

Closing schools due to hazardous weather conditions during the winter months is a difficult decision. The final decision is made by the District’s Superintendent after consultation with the local weather bureau, area police agencies, and neighboring school districts. Parents are urged to follow these guidelines for school closings.

BLACKBOARD CONNECT Rapid Notification system will dial the home, work and cell phone numbers of parents, guardians and staff to deliver important messages. The district will record emergency messages, school closing information and other pertinent information and broadcast these messages rapidly to all stakeholders in the district. It is an improved way of disseminating information under our District Safety Plan. Please ensure the school building has your current phone numbers.

LISTEN TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS - Announcements will be made over the radio and television stations as early as possible (between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m.). Please check announcements on one of the following if the weather is stormy. Do not telephone the schools as phone lines are used to handle the emergency situation.

FM Radio:
WBUF (92.9), WTSS (96.1), WGRF (96.9), WKSE (98.5), WEDG (103.3), WHTT (104.1), WYRK (106.5)
AM Radio:
WBEN (930) WECK (1230) WGR (55)
Television:
WKBW (Ch. 7) WGRZ (Ch. 2) WIVB (Ch. 4) SPECTRUM

CHECK WITH NEIGHBORS - They made have heard the radio announcements and can relay messages. Please refrain from calling the public schools, if possible. Do not make presumptions about Depew closing schools. Although other area schools have closed, DEPEW MAY NOT CLOSE.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES will not be transported to BOCES or private placements when the public schools are closed due to weather.

NON-PUBLIC SCHOOLS served by Depew will be notified. Depew buses will not transport students to private or parochial schools on that day.

EVENING ACTIVITIES will generally be cancelled, with the possible exception of away games in sports.

IF SCHOOL IS CLOSED DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, Students will be kept at the schools until the latest possible moment for safety reasons. Generally, the students are safer at school in a supervised and warm environment. In the event that children MUST be returned home, dismissal will occur on a school-by-school basis. Please have an emergency plan in place. Parents should arrange to have their children met upon their return and have a neighbor alerted to provide temporary shelter until you arrive home.