New Region 1 Superintendent of Schools Melony Brady-Shanley called her first Region 1 snow day around 7:30 a.m. Thursday morning, Dec. 5, after previously deciding on a three-hour delay just before 5 a.m. In her written message to families, Brady-Shanley indicated that communication with local road crews and continued expected snowfall prompted the closure.
“The safety and security of students and staff are always the number one priority,” she wrote.
Additionally, many other organizations in Kent follow the Region 1 schedule, including Kent Community Nursery School and Kent Memorial Library, which also closed today, Dec. 5. Both are located in the village center.
Region 1 School District consists of the elementary schools in Kent, Sharon, Cornwall, Falls Village, Salisbury and Canaan, as well as Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village.
Due to the large geographical area of Region 1 towns, the winter weather in the southern-most town of Kent can often be less severe than in Salisbury and Canaan. With both Connecticut Department of Transportation and Town of Kent Department of Public Works crews working overnight Wednesday into Thursday, most main roads throughout Kent were clear by 9 a.m.
A week before the first substantial snow of the season, the Town of Kent took delivery of a new snow plow, though it had not been pressed into service as of Dec. 4. It still needs to be undercoated and have the town’s logo applied to its doors.