School buses parked in Red Hook, Brooklyn, wait out a winter storm. From Flickr via Michelle

No news travels faster than word of a snow day. It’s on the radio, on teacher blogs, and in a notice sent by the Department of Education this morning: There is no school tomorrow.

The Department of Education sent out a notice at 11:10 am to say that regular school as well as all after school activities and sports are canceled. The Panel for Educational Policy meeting, which was scheduled for tomorrow night, has also been canceled and the proposals moved to the March meeting.

The same precaution is not being extended to DOE employees, who will be at their desks tomorrow, I’m told.

Last March, Chancellor Klein waited until 20 minutes before 6 am to declare a snow day, angering teachers who’d already begun their commutes and parents who had to find childcare.

The chancellor’s notice this year reads:

Due to anticipated inclement weather conditions, all New York City public schools will be closed tomorrow, February 10, 2010. All after-school activities and PSAL events will also be cancelled. While travel conditions to school in the morning may not be difficult, the weather is expected to worsen as the day progresses, complicating dismissal. We are making this decision today to give parents as much time as possible to make alternative plans for tomorrow.