Planning Ahead – School Closing/Delay Information

November 14, 2018

Good evening West Shore Students, Staff, Parents, and Community,

From record-breaking high temperatures in September, to heavy rains in October, to the anticipation of snow and sleet in mid-November, we are fully expecting anything could be possible when it comes to the weather this school year.

To add to the complexity of what we are anticipating this week, Thursday is Turkey Day and our Food Service staff have been busy preparing a special meal for students, staff, and special guests. Additionally, Friday is a scheduled early dismissal/afternoon kindergarten make-up day.

Not unlike our students, we are closely monitoring the forecast for Thursday and Friday, and we will do our best to communicate any weather-related changes to the school day as soon as possible. Please keep in mind, while not ideal, due to the number of hours already lost this school year, if the weather is bad a two hour delay followed by the planned early dismissal may be necessary on Friday.

When it comes to making decisions about delaying the start of school, cancelling classes, or dismissing early, several factors are considered including the forecast, existing conditions, and potential impact on general operations. Each of these are taken into consideration in the context of safety.

Another factor we carefully consider is the effect on after school events. While this week we are on the tail end of one sports season leading into the next, our Board meeting is scheduled for Thursday evening and our annual Boyz Noyz Festival is planned for Friday.

I realize this is a lengthier description of what we are facing than you may have anticipated, but I wanted to give you a glimpse of why making what seems like a “simple” weather call is a bit more complicated at times.

With that in mind, I also want to take this opportunity to remind you of the District's procedures should bad weather necessitate a change in schedule and to remind you to have a plan in place for the possibility of school closures. It is important families be prepared, so please make sure your child understands when you expect them to return home, or to the home of a trusted neighbor, in the event of an early dismissal.

School Closings
Unless there is an announcement, assume school is in session as usual. Typically, a decision to close school is made prior to 5:45 a.m. or when at all possible the evening before. However, there have been cases where the weather worsened during the morning hours and a decision was made slightly later than the 5:45 a.m. goal.

In the event of a school closing, the six-day schedule will not skip days. For example, if school is closed on cycle day 1, when students return to school it will be cycle day 1. Cumberland Perry AVTS students will not have school on days the District is closed. 

If needed, the following make-up days may be used following a school closing: February 15, 2019, March 18, 2019, April 18, 2019, and June 10..., 2019.

Two Hour Delays
If the decision is made to start later, schools will open two hours after normal start times and buses will run two hours later than normal route times.

Kindergarten students will follow a modified schedule during a two hour delay, with morning kindergarten/KAP held from 10:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. and afternoon kindergarten/KAP from 12:45-3:30 p.m.

Transportation to Cumberland Perry AVTS will be provided for students following the two hour delay.

Early Dismissals
On days when it is necessary to dismiss school early, middle and high schools will dismiss first. To the best of our ability, we will provide families with as much advance notice as possible to plan for childcare and to mitigate the impact of lost instructional time for students.

Communication
Once a decision has been made, we will use several communication avenues to notify parents, students, and staff as quickly as possible.

• Automated Phone and Text Message System - Notification will be sent to all home telephone numbers, cell phone numbers, work numbers, and e-mail addresses. A text message will also be sent to parents who have opted-in to the service. If you have not received phone calls or text messages from the District this school year, please contact your child's school to ensure the District has your correct contact information.
  
• District Website - Closing information will always be posted on the opening page of the West Shore School District website at www.wssd.k12.pa.us.
  
• Social Media – Information will be shared on the District’s twitter, facebook, and instagram accounts. You can follow these pages @WestShoreSD. Please note, due to the time needed for our automated system to process messages, there may be some instances in which the information is available on social media before you receive a call, email, or text from the District. 
  
• Other - Details will also be available on the District weather message line (717-938-3179) and reported to local radio and television stations.