Delays and Closures

Inclement weather can sometimes impact the operation of our schools, especially in the wintertime. This page is to remind our families of the procedures and schedules the District will follow in the event of a school delay or closing and to walk them through the district's decision-making process. Please read these procedures carefully, as we have expanded instructional opportunities available for our students on inclement weather days.

Please 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 chose 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, the following will take place:

ALL Bethel Park School District students will follow the 2-Hour Delay schedule for instruction those schedules can be found here.
- Bethel Park High School
- Independence Middle School
- Neil Armstrong Middle School
- Elementary Schools (11:20 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.)
  The Modified Kindergarten Schedule for a 2-hour delay:
  For AM students: 11:20 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  For PM students: 2 p.m. to 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 Closure for 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 pandemic's start as a vehicle for schools to continue to educate their students when in-person education wasn’t possible. They will remain an option for PA schools through at least the end of the 2022-2023 school year. They can be used for COVID-19-related reasons and other non-pandemic-related reasons as well.

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. Also, 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), aka a "Snow Day"

Emergency School Closures may become necessary if there is an unexpected reason to close our schools, like inclement weather, a broken pipe, a community-wide power outage, or other facilities-related issues. During an Emergency School Closure, which in the winter is often called 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! And if they are able, students are also encouraged to please help shovel their parents' driveways and sidewalks.

HOW DOES THE DISTRICT DETERMINE IF A REMOTE INSTRUCTIONAL DAY OR A SNOW DAY WILL BE USED?
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.

Communicating a School Delay or Closure

When necessary, school delays and closings will be communicated in various ways. The District utilizes the SchoolMessenger alert 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. Any phone number where you wish to receive notifications about delays or closings must be selected. In the case of a sudden change in the weather that impacts our schedule, we may also use the NON-SCHOOL HOURS EMERGENCY numbers as well to be sure everyone is aware.

If you have any questions about delays or closure communication, please get in touch with James Cromie.

Our Television Partners

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.

Our Social Media Platforms

In addition to the School Messenger parent alert system and the local television stations, you can also find the most up-to-date list of delays and closing on Bethel Park's social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.