Skip To Main Content

Logo Title

Delays & Closings

In the event of an early dismissal, delay or cancellation, the district will notify parents via:

  • Rapid Call using phone call, email and text message
    Be sure to keep your contact information up to date in the Sapphire Community Portal.
  • pinerichland.org
  • Local television stations KDKA, WTAE and WPXI
    Once the information leaves Pine-Richland, we cannot control how it is broadcast on TV and/or radio. 

The district will use a rapid call in the event of an emergency and/or other major announcements.

Please check Sapphire or call your child's school building if you think your information might not be current. 

What criteria does the district use to decide to delay or close?

Student safety is always the key driver for Pine-Richland School District when making decisions about delays and closures. Both temperature and road conditions are evaluated. 

Road Conditions

The district consults the National Weather Service, Northern Regional Police Department, Richland Township road crews, Township of Pine road crews, and Student Transportation of America to help evaluate current and forecasted road conditions.

Temperature

The district follows the National Weather Service (NWS) when evaluating temperatures. NWS has criteria for each county in Pennsylvania for calling a Wind Chill Advisory.

If the wind chill (combination of real temperature and wind speed) is -10 degrees Fahrenheit or lower in Allegheny County, the National Weather Service issues a Wind Chill Advisory.

When there is an NWS Wind Chill Advisory during morning pick-up time, and temperatures are predicted to rise during the day, school will be delayed. If there is a Wind Chill Advisory that will persist all day, then school may be canceled.

Early dismissals for any reason other than an extreme emergency will be avoided if possible.

While we aim to inform our families of delays and cancellations as far in advance as possible, when the forecasted wind chill is near the threshold, the district's standard practice is to wait until the morning for a delay or cancellation decision. A few degrees difference can impact the decision.  

 

What if a two-hour delay is issued?

Bus pickup times and school opening are delayed by exactly two hours. Lunch is served. See the full two-hour delay schedule for each building. 

 

What is the modified kindergarten schedule?

Morning Session: 11:20 am – 1:05 pm
Afternoon Session: 2:05 pm – 3:45 pm

What if I didn't get a phone call, text and/or email?

Because we use an automated system to dispatch our rapid calls, some carriers may filter our phone calls as spam. Until phone carriers improve the accuracy of their processes, you may not receive every automated phone call that we send through our rapid call system. This issue is with the phone carriers and not with School Messenger, our rapid call platform, and is affecting many school districts and school emergency communication platforms. 

If you think you may be missing calls, texts or emails, please first verify your contact information in Sapphire. If all looks correct, contact Erin Hasinger, Director of Communications at ehasinger@pinerichland.org or 724-625-7773 ext. 6202. We may not be able to address how the phone carriers treat the call, but we can ensure we have the right contact information and the calls, texts and emails are being sent. 

How can families prepare?

  • Keep your contact information up to date in Sapphire.
     
  • Check the website and/or TV stations for cancellations, delays and early dismissals. These are updated after a rapid call is issued and are a good backup if you are not sure if you missed a call.
     
  • Have your children dress appropriately for inclement weather, especially frigid temperatures.  We hold outdoor recess during the winter months for K-6 students when conditions permit. To ensure your child's comfort, please plan for outdoor recess when preparing or assisting with your child's clothing and outerwear selections each day. Hats, coats, gloves and boots/proper footwear are encouraged to be sent to school with your child throughout the winter months. Students preferring to wear shorts year-round should be dressed appropriately for the weather and consider long pants. Please apply the same practice for when your child gets on and off the bus and waits for the bus each day.
     
  • Remind students to bring their Chromebooks home every evening and be prepared for possible virtual learning days. 
     
  • Have a plan in place should there be an early dismissal and your child is sent home on short notice. Although rare, early dismissals are a possibility due to weather or emergency situations. Now is the time to develop a plan with your child(ren).

    Be sure your child knows and understands the plan (make it simple). Children will be sent home on their school bus if an unexpected early dismissal occurs. The district's rapid notification system will be used to alert parents.