On occasion, weather and other emergency situations require the district to delay the start of the school day or close schools for the entire day. On rare occasions, it may also be necessary to dismiss schools early.

Schools can be delayed or closed because of poor road and/or weather conditions. Snow, ice and extreme cold are examples of weather-related reasons for delays and closures. The regular school schedule could be disrupted for a variety of reasons, such as heating system failures and water main breaks, all of which have been known to affect schools in upstate New York, especially in the winter.

When making closure and delay decisions, the district must consider conditions across the entire district, which covers an area of 82 square miles and includes the city of Gloversville, the town of Bleecker and parts of the towns of Johnstown, Caroga and Mayfield. Safety is the primary concern.

Closures and delays are announced on local television and radio stations, the school district website, the district Facebook page, and through the district’s automated messaging system (for parents and school employees). Gloversville uses ParentLink (a Blackboard company) for its notification system for phone calls, text messages and emails to parents, faculty and staff. Parents, scholars and staff do NOT need to sign up for email, text and phone notifications through ParentLink because contact information is pulled from the district’s scholar management system, SchoolTool. It is recommended that parents/guardians check their SchoolTool account to make sure the district has your most current contact information.

ParentLink also powers Gloversville’s new mobile app, available for Apple and Google/Android mobile devices. App users can also receive push notifications to their mobile devices with news from GESD. The district encourages parents and staff to download its new mobile app, available to download for free on Apple and Android mobile devices.

Emergency closing information is also provided to the following local TV stations: WRGB (Channel 6), WTEN (Channel 10), WNYT (Channel 13) and Spectrum News.

The district also notifies radio station WENT (1340AM).

A reminder that it is always best to rely on more than one source of information when it comes to weather-related announcements. This is particularly true in situations that involve power outages, which can affect the district’s ability to send electronic notifications. Emergency preparedness agencies have advised that residents have access to a battery-powered radio so that they can receive information if other communication channels are unavailable.

If you believe there may be an emergency at the school and you need more information, please first check our website or Facebook page or listen to the radio or TV for details. Numerous phone calls to the school may hinder the staff’s ability to deal with the situation.