Who is watching the weather?
The superintendent and administrative staff carefully watch the weather conditions during seasons of possible inclement weather.

Where do they get their information?
Our school district monitors the national weather service via broadcast and the internet. We also contact the local law enforcement about road conditions. The Bergenfield Police Department provides us with a report on the road conditions from officers who are out on patrol. This report is typically secured between 4:30am and 5:30am. In making our decision, we must give careful consideration to the condition of local streets as well as the sidewalks and crossings around the community.

What factors are considered when making the decision to close schools?
The safety of all Bergenfield's children is our primary concern in making our decision. In deciding whether children will be safe, we look at the following factors:

• Information on road conditions from the director of building and grounds and from law enforcement, including whether roads are icy
• Time snow or ice starts and the amount
• Weather predictions
• Building conditions (e.g., whether schools have power and heat)
• Parking lot conditions
• Temperature and wind-chill

Who makes the decision?
The Superintendent of Schools is responsible for the final decision, based on the above factors and recommendations from the district staff.

If school is going to be closed or delayed opening:
The best source for updated information is our district homepage.  If school is going to be closed or delayed because of the weather, an announcement will be posted and updated as needed.  We also recommend following us on Facebook or Twitter.  Announcements will also be made on local radio and television stations as follows:

Radio will broadcast closings on:

• 880 WCBS (880 AM)
• 1010 WINS (1010 AM)

TV will broadcast closings on:

• ABC
• FOX
• NBC
• News 12 New Jersey
• Univision

We request that you do not call the police department for school closing information. These lines must be kept clear for emergencies.

The purposes for a delayed opening of schools are:

• to allow time for a change in weather conditions which has been forecast by the National Weather Service (NWS)
• to allow DPW crews to clear more streets and roads
• to allow our staff to clear parking lots and walkways
• to allow staff, some of whom travel long distances from rural areas, to travel on cleared roads

Should it become necessary and appropriate to delay the opening times of our schools, the following plan will provide guidelines for the operation of a delayed opening day:

New Opening Time
When the Superintendent opts for a delayed opening, he will indicate to all staff, the media, and the community that "all Bergenfield Public Schools will open on a delayed opening schedule." Please visit our school hours page for start and dismissal times during delayed openings, as hours may vary by school or program. Staff will be asked to report at fifteen minutes prior to the effective start time. All before-school programs will be cancelled.

Dismissal Times
Unless a facility or health emergency develops in an individual school, dismissal will be at regular times.

Additional Info
A delayed opening could change to a school closing if conditions don't improve prior to delayed opening times.