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Western New York schools weigh options for Friday

As of Wednesday night, no decisions about whether to have a snow day Friday have been made.

HAMBURG, N.Y. — The big question for parents: Should they be prepared for their kids to be home from school in the coming days?

"The most important thing to us is making sure that we make decisions that keep people safe," Hamburg Central School District superintendent Michael Cornell said.

2 On Your Side went to Hamburg on Wednesday to talk with Cornell. He is also the president of the Erie-Niagara School Superintendents Association.

"I expect superintendents will be in closer touch over the course of the day on Thursday, and we'll see how solid the forecast looks for Friday and make a decision about whether or not to cancel school, and then, you know, when do we make that decision. Do we do it on Thursday? Do we wait and do it on Friday morning?" Cornell said.

We asked Buffalo Public Schools what the plan is for Friday, and Wednesday afternoon a spokesperson told us, "The District is evaluating all contingencies and will make decisions that are clearly communicated in a timely fashion to protect the safety and security of our students, staff and community."

The district did publish a post on social media later in the evening stating that Buffalo Public Schools will be closed on Friday, November 18, 2022.

The Amherst Central School District emailed families Wednesday morning saying if they use a snow day this week, it will not include remote learning.

We also talked with Superintendent Mark Laurrie with Niagara Falls City Schools. He told us there is no decision yet for his district, but if they do remote learning Friday, ideally they would make a decision by 1 p.m. Thursday so the kids could bring their laptops and charging cords home. 

If there's a traditional snow day Friday in Niagara Falls, Laurrie would want to make that decision around 6 p.m. Thursday to get it on the news, or by 8 p.m. at the latest.

Meanwhile, if Superintendent Cornell cancels Friday classes, it's going to be a traditional snow day with no remote learning. He says most of his colleagues will do the same.

"A lot has changed in the world in the last fifty years. One of the things that hasn't changed is everybody loves a good snow day," Cornell said.

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