South Park School District

The determination of whether to delay school or close buildings will be made as early as possible. However, in some circumstances, decisions may not be made until the morning due to changing weather conditions. Early dismissals will be called only in the most extreme emergencies. 

When school is delayed or buildings are closed, the district will make an automated phone call and send an email notification through SchoolMessenger. 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. If you have not received any phone calls or emails from the district so far this school year, it is a good idea to contact your child’s school office as soon as possible so we can look into that issue.

Once a delay or closure is called, we post that information immediately on our website, our Facebook page, our Instagram page and our X page. Delay and closure information will also be available on KDKA, WPXI and WTAE. Please note that the district has no control over the speed at which the television news stations post or air delay/closing messages once the district submits them.

TWO-HOUR DELAYS

When the district announces a two-hour delay, all building drop-off times will be adjusted by exactly two hours, and buses will arrive at stops approximately two hours later than usual. Afternoon dismissals will begin at the normal times.

On two-hour delay days, high school students who attend Steel Center will depart the high school at 11:40 a.m. for Steel Center.

BUILDING CLOSURES

Should weather conditions necessitate a building closure, there are two possible options. The district’s announcement will outline whether:

CLOSURE OPTION 1: The district will transition to a virtual learning day for all students on a two-hour delay schedule

-or-

CLOSURE OPTION 2: The district will cancel all classes with no remote instruction.

CLOSURE OPTION 1: VIRTUAL LEARNING DAY ON TWO-HOUR DELAY SCHEDULE

In most instances when district buildings are closed due to inclement weather or another emergency situation, the district will utilize virtual learning on a two-hour delay schedule. On a virtual learning day, students will not report to school. Teachers will communicate specific virtual learning procedures with their students/families via Canvas and/or email. 

On remote learning days due to inclement weather or another emergency situation, remote learning will take place on the school’s two-hour delay schedule. This will allow our teachers, students, and families to adequately prepare for a productive school day and virtual learning environment.

Live or recorded instruction, assignments, announcements or other instructional materials will be available via Canvas. Teachers have worked with students to review what virtual learning days will look like in their classes. Students should be familiar with where they will find links to live instruction, assignments and activities on Canvas. 

Teachers will be available to answer questions via email and Canvas during the school day on all virtual learning days.

CLOSURE OPTION 2: DISTRICT CLOSED WITH NO VIRTUAL LEARNING

In the event virtual learning is not feasible due to widespread power outages or other factors, the district will close and no virtual learning will be scheduled. The closure message will state that no virtual learning will take place on that day. A make-up day will be scheduled.

ATTENDANCE

Students will  be required to complete a virtual attendance form on all virtual learning days. 

NEW THIS YEAR: The district has simplified the attendance reporting process for students and families. In previous years, all homeroom teachers had an individual online attendance form. Beginning this year, there will be one standardized attendance form for each district school. Links to those three forms are below. When completing the attendance form, students/families must select their homeroom teacher from the dropdown list. This will route the attendance submission to the teacher who will record the attendance in PowerSchool. Links to the form will be included in the communication announcing a virtual learning day.

On virtual learning days, high school students must complete the form no earlier than 9 a.m. and no later than 9:30 a.m. Middle school students must complete the form no earlier than 9:30 a.m. and no later than 10 a.m. Elementary center students must complete the form no earlier than 10:30 a.m. and no later than 11 a.m. (Please note these reporting times are adjusted to adhere to a two-hour delay schedule).

If inclement weather conditions result in power outages or other conditions which limit or prohibit a student from participating in virtual learning, the student or the student’s parent/guardian should notify the teacher(s) as soon as possible about the inability to access remote learning. The student will have the number of school days of virtual learning to complete any virtual learning day assignments. (For instance, if one virtual learning day is called on a Tuesday, students will have one school day to complete the assignments. Therefore, the work would be due on Thursday.)

Click here for the high school virtual learning day attendance form.

Click here for the middle school virtual learning day attendance form.

Click here for the elementary center virtual learning day attendance form.

TRANSPORTATION

Winter weather may cause our buses to run behind schedule, so we ask for your patience and understanding in advance. When the district is notified that a bus is running at least 10-15 minutes late, families will be notified via email. In the event the district is closed due to hazardous driving conditions or extreme cold, transportation will not be provided to any private, parochial, charter, or special education schools.

If you have a question about delay or closure procedures, please contact your child’s teacher or principal.