Update on Emergency Closing Days

Dear Kingston Families, Staff, and Community Members,

With winter weather continuing to impact our region, I would like to take a moment to clarify where we stand with emergency closures and our instructional calendar for the 2025–26 school year.

When a State of Emergency declared by the Governor and County Executive is in effect and travel restrictions prevent schools from safely opening, a regulation from the New York State Education Department allows school districts to apply for a waiver so that those days may count toward the required 180 days of instruction.

Because both January 26 and February 23 were impacted by a State of Emergency and unsafe travel conditions, the Kingston City School District made use of this waiver provision. We have received confirmation that February 23, 2026, will count toward our annual instructional requirement. We are still awaiting a decision regarding January 26 and do not yet have a timeline for when a decision will be made.

Therefore, as of today, February 27, 2026, Kingston City School District has used all of the snow/emergency days originally built into our approved calendar.

Should additional closures occur beyond the built-in days and the potential waiver, we would be required to add instructional days back into the calendar in the following order as noted on the KCSD 2025-2026 Master Calendar published in August:

1. April 6, 2026

2. March 30, 2026

3. March 31, 2026 (and so on as referenced on the calendar.)

Our priority will always be the safety of our students and staff. At the same time, we are responsible for meeting state instructional requirements and will continue working closely with state officials to ensure compliance.

We will share updates as they become available. Thank you for your continued support and partnership as we navigate the remainder of the winter season together.

Sincerely,

Dr. Paul J. Padalino
Superintendent of Schools
Kingston City School District