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Briarcliff Schools 'In Good Shape' For Snow Days

BRIARCLIFF MANOR, N.Y. – With several snowstorms that hit the Briarcliff Manor School District in the last month and only one snow day left following Hurricane Sandy, district officials are doing everything they can to prevent the need to cut into vacation days.

The Briarcliff Manor School District has a plan in case more storms threaten school closings this winter.

The Briarcliff Manor School District has a plan in case more storms threaten school closings this winter.

Photo Credit: Nathan Bruttell

Briarcliff Manor schools were on a two-hour delay on Feb. 11 and closed early on Feb. 8 during Winter Storm Nemo, despite more than a foot of snow that fell on the area. While a similar storm could have forced the district to close in previous years, school officials were forced to use up five inclement weather days during Hurricane Sandy. The New York State Education Department allows for seven inclement weather days during the year before makeup days need to be scheduled.

But as long as the school is open for at least 2 1/2 hours, the inclement weather day doesn’t count, said Dr. Kusum Sinha, the district’s assistant superintendent of curriculum and human resources.

“Right now, we’re in good shape because of those early dismissals and delayed openings so they have been counted toward school attendance,” Sinha said. “If we have a couple more days like this, then we won’t be in good shape because we’ll have to make up those days with vacation days.”

Sinha said it’s unlikely the school district would need to use the last snow day and even if it did, the district isn’t likely to need to cut into vacation time.

“We’ve allotted for more than what was required so even if we have another one, I think we’ll still be in OK shape because of those days we have built into our year,” she said. “I don’t see it becoming an issue because of that.”

Should the need arise, the district has slotted June 27 and 28 as emergency makeup days, according to the district’s website.

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