School Delays & Cancellations
Inclement weather can sometimes impact the operation of our schools, particularly in the wintertime. When that happens, the district follows distinct procedures and schedules, as outlined below.
Please read these procedures carefully and refer to the guidelines below for more details for both in-person and remote students.
The District makes decisions regarding closures and delays in consultation with the municipality's Public Works Department, Police Department, and others. As a parent, if you choose not to follow the District's plan regarding inclement weather, please note that you have the authority to keep your child at home for an excused absence anytime there are weather concerns.
2-Hour Delay
In the event of a 2-Hour Delay with a Modified Kindergarten, the following will take place:
Bethel Park School District students in grades 1-12 will follow the 2-Hour Delay schedule for instruction. Those schedules can be found here.
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- Bethel Park High School (9:25 a.m. to 2:28 p.m.)
- Independence Middle School (9:24 a.m. to 2:25 p.m.)
- Neil Armstrong Middle School (10:05 a.m. to 3:02 p.m.)
- Elementary Schools (11:20 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.)
The Modified Kindergarten Schedule for a 2-hour delay:
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- AM students: 11:20 a.m. until 1 p.m.
- PM students: 2 p.m. until 3:40 p.m.
If conditions worsen unexpectedly and we need to close school for in-person instruction after a 2-Hour Delay is called, all students will attend school remotely following the 2-Hour Delay schedule.
Full Day Cancellation of In-Person Instruction
If conditions require a full-day closure for in-person instruction, our ability to transition to remote learning fairly seamlessly can help us avoid Snow Days that may need to be made up later in the year. It is crucial, however, to understand the various options the district has at its disposal and the criteria it uses when making its determinations.
Remote Instructional Day (RID)
Remote Instructional Days were initially implemented through the Pennsylvania Department of Education at the start of the pandemic as a vehicle for schools to continue to educate their students when in-person education wasn’t possible. They can also be used for pandemic and non-pandemic-related reasons.
During RIDs, students attend school virtually by logging into their Schoology accounts and following their regular daily class schedule in real time (synchronously) or at their own pace (asynchronously). The school district will, ahead of time, announce which approach students and staff should follow.
The school district will not provide transportation during a Remote Instructional Day, and district schools will be closed to everyone except authorized personnel. The district’s ability to host after-school activities like sporting events, practices, and performances will be determined case-by-case.
Teachers are expected to review and clearly articulate the assignments and class expectations on any day that requires remote instruction.
During RIDs, students attend school virtually by logging into their Schoology accounts and following their regular daily class schedule in real time (synchronously) or at their own pace (asynchronously). The school district will, ahead of time, announce which approach students and staff should follow.
The school district will not provide transportation during a Remote Instructional Day, and district schools will be closed to everyone except authorized personnel. The district’s ability to host after-school activities like sporting events, practices, and performances will be determined case-by-case.
Teachers are expected to review and clearly articulate the assignments and class expectations on any day that requires remote instruction.
Emergency School Closure (ESC), Otherwise Known as a "Snow Day"
Emergency School Closures may become necessary if there is an unexpected reason to close our schools, such as inclement weather, a broken pipe, a community-wide power outage, or other facilities-related issues. During an Emergency School Closure, which in the wintertime is often referred to as a "Snow Day," students will not attend virtual teaching sessions and are not expected to complete assignments from home. The students' only "assignment" during a Snow Day is to unplug, go outside if conditions permit, and have fun!
If they are able, students are also encouraged to help shovel their parents' driveways and sidewalks as well as those of their neighbors who can't do it themselves.
If they are able, students are also encouraged to help shovel their parents' driveways and sidewalks as well as those of their neighbors who can't do it themselves.
How Does the District Determine When to Use a Remote Instruction Day or a Snow Day?
If the district determines in advance that inclement weather is very likely or imminent, remote instruction could be declared along with detailed instructions on the teachers’ expectations and procedures. A Snow Day will likely be announced when the inclement weather is unexpected or much more voluminous or treacherous than expected and the school district determines that it cannot guarantee that every Bethel Park School District student can receive a quality education for that day/those days. No classwork will be assigned during a Snow Day.
Don't hesitate to contact your building principal if you have any additional questions regarding RIDs and Snow Days.
Don't hesitate to contact your building principal if you have any additional questions regarding RIDs and Snow Days.
Communicating a School Delay or Cancellation
When necessary, school delays and cancellations will be communicated in various ways. The district utilizes the ParentSquare School-to-Home notification system to alert families to changes in our schedule via phone and email. The alerts are also posted on the local television news stations, the district's website, and Bethel Park's social media platforms.
Please review the contact information we have on file for your family in the parent portal of your eSchoolPlus account, as that syncs with ParentSquare to provide the most accurate, up-to-date contact information.
Please select any phone number where you wish to receive notifications from the school district, including for delays and cancellations.
Please review the contact information we have on file for your family in the parent portal of your eSchoolPlus account, as that syncs with ParentSquare to provide the most accurate, up-to-date contact information.
Please select any phone number where you wish to receive notifications from the school district, including for delays and cancellations.
If you have any questions about delays or cancellations, don't hesitate to contact James Cromie.
Television Stations:
When the weather is bad, you can find the most up-to-date list of closings & delays on the websites of our local television stations, KDKA-TV (CBS), WPXI-TV (NBC) and WTAE-TV.
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Social Media:
In addition to the ParentSquare school-to-home communication system and the local television stations, you can find the most up-to-date list of delays and cancellations on Bethel Park's social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
In addition to the ParentSquare school-to-home communication system and the local television stations, you can find the most up-to-date list of delays and cancellations on Bethel Park's social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
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Transportation Procedures During Delays and Cancellations
Click here to learn more about the district's transportation procedures during emergency delays or cancellations.
Click here to learn more about the district's transportation procedures during emergency delays or cancellations.
Building Contacts
Independence Middle School
Mrs. Racquel Sutton
412.854.8677
412.854.8677
Neil Armstrong Middle School
412.854.8751
Benjamin Franklin Elementary School
Benjamin Franklin Elementary School