Please note: School meals will not be available on days when schools are closed.

Occasionally, school schedules must be adjusted because of inclement weather, such as snow and ice accumulations, extreme wind chill, or heating or water emergencies.

HPS typically makes closing, delay, and early-release decisions by 5:30 a.m. of an affected school day, and sometimes the evening before when possible. These decisions are made in consultation with the Holyoke Department of Public Works, neighboring communities, and the HPS Operations team. Student safety is always the most important consideration. However, HPS strives to avoid schedule interruptions whenever possible to ensure that students are in class, learning.

Changes in school schedules caused by weather or other circumstances will be posted on the district website as a news story and as an alert banner at the top of every page, as well as on the district's Facebook page. Families and staff will be alerted via texts, phone calls, and emails through the district’s messaging system. HPS also releases information about changes in school schedules to Western Mass News, WWLP Channel 22, and MassLive. 

Important: If you do not receive an automated call, text, or email from the district’s messaging system, it is likely because your updated phone number and/or email address is not in our system. You can provide current contact information by completingthis form.

To help ensure the safety of our students and staff during inclement weather or other situations, Holyoke Public Schools may delay the start of school or close early. When this happens the following schedule will be followed:

• On days with a 2-hour delayed opening for students, students begin school 2 hours later than normal. For safety reasons, no students should arrive at school prior to the delayed opening.

• Breakfast will still be served.

• Students who are transported to school by buses will be picked up 2 hours later than their normal pickup time. For example, a normal 7 a.m. bus pickup will be moved to a 9 a.m. bus pickup.

• Dismissal times will remain the same.

• After-school activities will follow their regular schedules.

Occasionally students may be released 3 hours early because of weather or for other reasons. In addition, some days are scheduled in advance to be half days for students. On these days:

• Lunch will be served to students before dismissal.

• There will be no afternoon pre-kindergarten.

• After-school activities will be canceled.