Many Western Pennsylvania school districts are shifting to remote learning as communities continue to dig out from record-breaking snowfall.
As temperatures are expected to remain well below freezing throughout the week, district officials across the region continue to consider how best to handle the weather challenges.
On Monday, Pittsburgh Public Schools, which serves more than 17,900 students across 57 schools, called for the “last snow day of the school year,” according to an alert on the district’s website.
The district will move to synchronous remote classes Tuesday while its administrative buildings remain closed with staff working remotely.
District transportation services are canceled, and the facilities team is still working to clear parking lots and side streets around schools, district officials said.
In Westmoreland County, school districts scrambled as well. Districts such as Hempfield Area School District — the county’s largest school district — Belle Vernon Area School District, Derry Area School District, Franklin Regional School District Greater Latrobe School District all closed in-person instruction on Tuesday.
School officials in the Alle-Kiski Valley declared most students will learn remotely on Tuesday.
Allegheny Valley School District Superintendent Patrick Graczyk told TribLive if weather continues to disrupt the district’s normal operation, students will most likely have a flexible instruction day, also known as a remote learning day, rather than a school closure on Tuesday.
“A lot depends on road conditions, so that the staff who are expected to report to school can do so safely,” Graczyk said.
So far, several districts including Quaker Valley, Leechburg Area School District, Riverview School District, Deer Lakes School District, Highland School District and Carlynton School District have all declared remote learning models for Tuesday.
Leechburg Area School District superintendent David Keibler told TribLive in a statement that the state approves the district for five flexible instructional days in a school year.
“Today is day four, and it looks like tomorrow will be day five due to cold temps. We will then switch to traditional school closures and make those days up over Easter Break,” Keibler said.
While the district has enough hours built into its schedule to avoid the need to make up too many days, Keibler said he is still concerned because it is only January.
But not every school district has a concrete winter weather plan.
“We have not made any decisions regarding the rest of the week,” said Jeff Taylor, assistant superintendent of Carlynton School District. “We will continue to monitor the weather conditions and communicate decisions as soon as possible.”
Chartiers Valley School District reported equipment difficulties, as crews were cleaning the campus and walkways. As a result, Monday evening events at Chartiers Valley were canceled.
Greensburg Salem School District Athletic Director Drake D’Angelo addressed questions from families regarding after school activities in a statement on the website.
“When roads are hazardous, all athletic events — whether district-sponsored or those involving outside organizations — will be canceled,” D’Angelo said.
Further information regarding cancellations will be sent by head coaches and program directors, he said.
Burrell School District Superintendent Shannon Wagner said the district will have a flexible-instruction day Tuesday.
Monday was a scheduled professional development day for teachers, who worked remotely due to the storm. Students had a scheduled day off school.
Wagner said district maintenance crews were out since 7 a.m. Monday morning trying to clear district facilities.
“It’s going to be day-by-day,” Wagner said of the rest of the week. “We just have so much snow in our parking lots.”
“The issue will be bus stops and making sure the snow has been pushed back far enough so kids can safely wait.”
TribLive staff writers Tawnya Panizzi, Kellen Stepler, James Engel and Haley Daugherty contributed to this report.