New Canaan Public Schools Will Not Open Tuesday, Aug. 30

(Editor's Note: Following is a letter from Superintendent of Schools, David Abbey to parents. It was posted on the New Canaan Public School District website on Friday afternoon.)

After discussions with members of the Town's Emergency Operations Center (EOC), including representatives from the police and fire departments, I have decided to cancel school on Tuesday, August 30, which was to be the first day of the new school year. Given the strong agreement among experts regarding the magnitude and severity of Hurricane Irene and its most likely path, as well as our local experience with severe weather, it is the safest course of action. I trust that this advance warning will enable residents to better prepare for the potential challenges ahead of us. During the next few days, we will be working closely with town officials to assess conditions so that we can decide when it is best to open school. As soon as a decision is made, to either cancel additional days, or open school, we will contact you, power permitting, via our all call system and through the district's website atwww.newcanaan.k12.ct.us. 

In the interim, the Town will be sharing valuable information that will be of assistance in helping residents deal with the aftereffects of this storm.