Winter weather will be here soon. So too will weather-related school delays and closings.
The decision to delay or close school is one district administrators take very seriously. The safety of our students and staff will always be the top priority.
The decision is made after receiving input from the South Park Township Police Department, the South Park Public Works Department, the district transportation office and our facilities personnel. The determination of whether to delay or close will be made as early as possible. Early dismissals will be called only in the most extreme emergencies.
When school is delayed or canceled, the district will make an automated phone call and send an email notification through SchoolMessenger. Only the primary phone number for each guardian contact will be called. Please understand that it can take at least a half hour before all automated phone calls are made. The success of the SchoolMessenger system in contacting families depends on accurate contact information in the district’s database. If your contact information has recently changed or you would like to change your primary phone number, please call your child’s school office.
In addition to the automated phone call and email, we will communicate delay and cancellation messages on our website, our Facebook page, our Twitter page and on the South Park School District smartphone app. Delay and cancellation information will also be available on KDKA-TV and kdka.com, WTAE-TV and wtae.com and WPXI-TV and
wpxi.com.
When a two (2) hour delay is called because of inclement weather or another emergency situation, both morning and afternoon kindergarten sessions will be held. The morning students will be picked up at their bus stops approximately two (2) hours later than normal. Dismissal is at 12:30 p.m. which means your child will arrive home approximately one (1) hour later than normal. The afternoon students will be picked up at their bus stops approximately fifty (50) minutes later than normal. Homeroom begins at 1:40 p.m. Dismissal will be at the normal time. The weather delay announcement will say “two hour delay with modified kindergarten.”
When a cancellation occurs, the district will announce the scheduled make-up day. Four possible make-up days have been built into this year’s calendar (January 2, January 18, February 18 and April 18). If there are cancellations beyond the scheduled make-up days, days will be added to the end of the year.