From left, Jamestown Public Schools Board of Education members Joseph Calimeri, Nina Karbacka, and John Panebianco conduct district business Tuesday. P-J photo by Michael Zabrodsky

With the frigid temperatures in the forecast, students in Jamestown Public Schools have access to free winter clothing at all schools within the district.

JPS Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker said after Tuesday’s board of education meeting.

“We have free clothing – hats, gloves, coats, winter gear at all of our schools. So anybody who needs to have their children have gear, it is available for free,” Whittaker noted.

Because of New York state school calendar mandates, when there is inclement weather, Jamestown Public Schools officials sometimes have to perform a juggling act with delays, holidays and snow days.

On Tuesday all Jamestown Public Schools were operating on a one-hour delay because of the wind-chill forecast. Jamestown High School began at 9 a.m., Jefferson, Persell, and Washington middle schools began at 9:10 a.m., and Bush, Fletcher, Lincoln, Love, and Ring elementary schools began at 9:20 a.m.

The superintendent said the state mandates that school districts in New York State have to have at least 180 days, with more holidays added, the fewer days JPS can go beyond the mandatory 180 “just in case we have snow or cold or wind.”

According to the district website, jpsny.org, “As the weather begins to change, JPS may need to delay or close schools due to weather conditions. If schools are closed or have a delayed opening, JPS will make an announcement on area radio and television stations, and post on the JPS Facebook Page (@JamestownPublicSchools) and JPS X (Twitter) feed (@JamestownSchool). The district will also communicate with families and staff using our direct messaging system. Parents and students can expect to receive telephone, email and text messages on delayed openings or school closings, as long as their contact information is up-to-date in the district’s system.

Please contact your child’s main office to update your contact information. Please keep in mind that school closing decisions are based on overall district-wide conditions.”

There is a cold weather advisory, weather.com said. For today, a high of 12 is expected with clouds, and snow flurries. For Friday, mostly cloudy with a high of 13, low of zero, winds 5 to 10 mph.

In other business, the school board approved a 3 percent pay raise for Safety and Security Officers also known as “Red Shirts.” The current pay rate for the Red Shirts is $37.26 per hour.

JPS employs current and former law enforcement officers as part-time employees, the resolution noted. JPS recognizes that, in working with the district, individuals serving as Red Shirts may be foregoing opportunities for additional compensation from the law enforcement agencies that employ them and/or prospective private sector employers. The presence of the Red Shirts on school grounds is a critical part of the district’s program for ensuring the safe operation of its schools.

“It takes a special person to be a Red Shirt,” Whitaker said. “While you have the skills and knowledge of a police officer. In most cases, you can’t necessarily act as a police officer in your capacity.”

Whitaker noted that Red Shirts have to act as a counselor, a person to listen to, and someone who may give advice when dealing with students.