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Delay/Cancellation of School due to Inclement Weather or Other Emergencies

Revised January , 2012

Dear Parent/Guardian,

PENNCREST, along with Crawford Central and Conneaut School Districts, will utilize two-hour delay and cancellation procedures in cases of inclement weather. The two-hour delay enables us to have more time to assess weather conditions. Parents will need to make arrangements for their children in the event that delays and cancellations occur.

Parents and students should listen to local radio stations and Erie television stations on a regular basis for possible announcements regarding the delay or cancellation of school. In addition, PENNCREST School District will use the Global Connect telephone notification system to alert families who have submitted telephone numbers for this purpose. Information regarding Global Connect and delays/cancellations is also posted on the district website at http://www.penncrest.org. Except in the case of an unforeseen emergency that may apply to only one district or school, the determination to delay or cancel school will be a unified decision made by the Superintendents.

Delay/Cancellation Procedures

  1. The Superintendents will make a decision by 6:00 AM to either delay or cancel school. The delay/cancellation announcement will be made as indicated above.

  2. When an announcement to delay school is made, continue to listen to the radio or television stations for updated information. It is possible that road conditions will deteriorate or that an emergency condition becomes more serious and school could be cancelled. A decision as to whether or not school will be cancelled after the two-hour delay occurs will be made and announced no later than 7:30 AM, when possible.

  3. During a delay, transportation times will be delayed two hours. This applies to transportation to nonpublic schools and for special education students as well. Students are required to be at their stop five (5) minutes ahead of the scheduled pickup time and remain there for at least ten (10) minutes after the scheduled time to allow for inconsistencies. Since busses might be running slow due to conditions, dress your children appropriately.

  4. When school is delayed, it is important that you do not drop your children at school prior to 10:00 AM since building staff will not be available to supervise them before that time. Parents who opt to bring their students to school when the bus is unable to pick up their children due to road conditions should be prepared to transport them home from school.

  5. AM vocational students will be transported to Crawford County Career and Technical Center upon their arrival at the home school when school is delayed.

  6. When school is delayed, breakfast programs will be cancelled; lunch programs will run as usual with some change in the starting times.

  7. PENNCREST Child Development Centers:
    Day Care Programs are affected by two-hour delays     and will open at 8:00 AM. Day Care Programs will not be held when school is cancelled.

    Head Start & Pre-K Counts Programs follow the same schedule as our regular school students when delays and cancellations occur.

  8. Alternative Education Program at Bethesda follows the district delay/cancellation procedures.

Early Dismissal Procedures

Typically, the district does not dismiss school early due to inclement weather because the students are safe in school and it is more likely that the roads will be cleared in time for dismissal. Furthermore, an early dismissal may result in some elementary students arriving home prior to working parents.

Nevertheless, in the event that it would be necessary to dismiss school early due to inclement weather or other unforeseen emergencies, the Superintendent, in conjunction with the Supervisor of Plant/Transportation, will determine the schedule that will be used to transport the students to their bus stops safely. In the case of early dismissal, Head Start students will be dismissed early according to the same schedule as the regular students. Early dismissals will be announced by the methods indicated previously.

After-School Activities

  1. If school is cancelled before the day begins

    a. Secondary principals may authorize school-sponsored and non-school-sponsored activities to continue; however participation by students is strictly voluntary.

    b. All Junior High athletic events will be cancelled but the principal may allow students to participate in tournaments.

    c. All elementary extracurricular activities will be cancelled.

  2. The decision to conduct or not to conduct after school activities will be made no later than 1:00 PM so that parents, students and the public can receive adequate notice.

  3. If school is cancelled during the day and students are dismissed early, all school-sponsored and non-school-sponsored activities, except for tournaments and post-season athletic competition (district or state playoffs) will be cancelled.

    Note: Persons having questions regarding the status of extracurricular activities should contact the principal of the respective school for specific information.

We have distributed these procedures to parents/guardians in advance of inclement weather so that you can make preparations accordingly. Whether or not the district decides to delay or cancel school due to inclement weather, it is ultimately your decision as a parent to determine whether or not your children are safe. If your immediate situation appears to be very dangerous, it is up to you to exercise good judgment and determine whether or not to send your child to school. If you do keep your child at home however, please send a note to school the following day explaining the problem. The administration will evaluate your explanation, and in most cases, consider your child to be legally absent from school.

Lastly, be advised that, in accordance with energy saving procedures, we will maintain building temperatures at 68 degrees. Please dress your children accordingly.

If you have any questions concerning these procedures, please contact your child’s building principal.


Sincerely,

Constance M. Youngblood
Superintendent of Schools

Attachments:
Delay/Cancellation Parent Letter Revised January 2012[ ]140 Kb
Last Updated on Thursday, 19 January 2012 10:02