Emergency Plans

Dear Parents/Guardians:
For many years we have had emergency plans to address traditional crises and emergencies, such as school fires, accidents, and natural disasters. We have added to our plans to accommodate for biological, radiological, chemical and other potential terrorist activities. In planning for all emergencies, we rely heavily on all levels of government and community safety agencies, such as the Office of Emergency Preparedness and the New York State Education Department.

Emergencies Outside the School Day
In the event of an emergency, federal, state, local government or I may decide to close schools before we are in session. These announcements would be made through the news media and would be on local radio and television stations.

Emergencies During the School Day
In the event of an emergency, I will determine whether to evacuate our staff and students immediately or shelter (lock down) our schools. In both evacuation and sheltering procedures, communication and cooperation are essential.

Emergency Closings When School is in Session
If school closes early, please:

Listen to the radio.
Do not call the school.
If there are special child care arrangements that need to be made, plan now and write a note explaining these arrangements to the Elementary or High School Principal.
Make sure your children can get in the house.
K-3 has an emergency phone tree list to alert as many parents as possible. For more details, call the Elementary School at 659-8317.

Evacuation
An evacuation could mean a transfer of students and staff from a location on campus to another location on/off campus. I would determine whether to evacuate, and if so, the extent and destination based on the circumstances of the emergency and direction from emergency officials.

Cooperation is Essential
In the event of an emergency, the District would communicate with the public through television and radio announcements. The media would relay the timeline for an early dismissal, the location for a school evacuation, and/or a notice of our plan to stay in place. If needed, our fleet of buses would transport all students from the school to home, or to another locationas directed by our governmental agencies.

How Parents Can Be Informed and Help During an Emergency
In the event of an emergency, the roadways of the School District must be open for emergency vehicles and bus evacuations. It is important that parents not rush to the school to pick up their children. It is also important that parents not call the school offices and tie up phone lines needed for communications during the emergency response. In either an evacuation or sheltering, too many people on campus could hinder our ability to respond appropriately. To obtain specific information regarding the District's response to an emergency, tune in to local TV and radio stations and/or check the District's Emergency web site at www.kendallschools.org/cal.htm.

Families should have their own “emergency plan
In case of an evacuation, parents should be sure children know what to do. Can they enter the home? Do they know of another place they can go? Children should know how to contact their parents if they are not home. Please be sure that emergency contact and caregiver information on file at school is current. If your child is administered medication at school, be sure that you have an adequate supply in the Nurse's Office.

We are committed to doing all we can to ensure safety in our schools and to keeping you updated about any new developments.

Sincerely,
Kendall Central School Superintendent

Weather Related Challenges

During a one-hour school delay, the Junior-Senior High School regular run will be delayed approximately one hour with an estimated drop off time at the High School of 8:20 a.m.

During a one-hour delay, Elementary School students will be picked up approximately one hour later than their regular pick up time. Drop off time at the Elementary School will be approximately 9:30 a.m.

A two-hour delay for the Elementary School will mean student pick up is approximately two hours from regular time and drop off at the Elementary School will be at approximately 10:30 a.m.

Parents should make plans now for child care in the case of one-hour delays, two-hour delays, and school closings.

Thank you in advance for your patience during challenging weather conditions.

Sincerely,
Kendall Central School Superintendent