SCHUYLER COMMUNITY SCHOOLS board reviews inclement‑weather policy, agrees to table for staff input

The SCHUYLER COMMUNITY SCHOOLS board reviewed a newly drafted inclement‑weather policy that seeks to clarify which district staff are expected to appear at school buildings during closures and severe weather.

A district administrator described the proposal as a written version of current practices: custodial and maintenance staff would be expected to work to secure buildings and perform snow removal and salting, while secretarial coverage would be left to building principals to determine on an event‑by‑event basis. The presenter said the district will aim to notify families by 10 p.m. the night before when possible and avoid very early morning cancellation calls.

"The secretary piece is really up to the building principals to talk to their secretaries and figure out what we need to cover," the presenter said, adding that custodians and maintenance "take the brunt of it" because they handle snow removal and facility checks.

Board members questioned whether formalizing the practice as written would unfairly surprise staff who expect contract provisions to be consistent year to year. One board member suggested tabling the policy for a month to allow office staff and building principals time to provide feedback; the presenter agreed that additional input would be useful and consented to delay action.

The board did not adopt the inclement‑weather policy at the meeting. Members framed the issue as clarifying procedures rather than changing day‑to‑day practice, and directed staff to gather further input before bringing the item back for consideration.