Dear Abington School District Parents and Guardians,
As we approach the winter season and increased chances of inclement weather, I write to provide our plan should snow, ice or other weather conditions impact our school schedule.
New for the 2024-2025 school year, Pennsylvania school code provides for an alternate method of accounting for instructional time. This means that any impact on the school schedule due to inclement weather will now be measured in hours (990 hours required for secondary; 900 required for elementary), versus the historical practice of counting by days.
With this change, we anticipate that our school calendar has approximately 9 days reserved for any potential school closures due to winter conditions, meaning that virtual instruction would not be required for students unless a significant weather event takes place that prevents schools from opening for an extended period of time.
As early dismissals and late arrivals are also subtracted from our required instructional hours for the school year, the amount of shortened school days would impact how many closures we would be able to sustain before needing to implement virtual instruction.
Should we approach the maximum amount of closures that would then require teachers and students to participate in virtual instruction, we will communicate this information to our school community well in advance.
For any potential closures, early dismissals or late arrivals, please review the following information:
School Closures | |
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Abington School District administration aims to communicate a closure announcement as soon as we are able, though often weather patterns in our area can shift suddenly. Closure announcements may be made the night before, but will always be announced no later than 6:00 a.m. on the day of closure. We will make every effort to make this decision the night prior to provide as much time as possible for our families and staff to make appropriate arrangements. Please understand that no forecast or weather model is 100% accurate, which may result in a closure that is not necessary. | |
Early Dismissals | |
Should weather conditions develop during the day that would make travel dangerous, we will dismiss school early. To prepare for the possibility of an unplanned early dismissal, parents/guardians should have arrangements in place for their children. | |
Late Arrivals | |
In the event that school is operating on a two-hour delayed opening, students are to report to their bus stops or schools two hours later than their usually scheduled time. |
*Please note that the YMCA before- and after-school care will not operate on days when schools are closed, delayed or dismissed early.
The District makes announcements regarding inclement weather using: |
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For a full list of communication resources and how to access them, click here. To ensure you receive alerts pertaining to any potential closures or delays, please check that your parent/guardian contact information is up-to-date in Skyward. |
Voice recordings and text messages were sent alongside this email to all designated parent/guardian phone numbers in our Skyward system. If you did not receive these accompanying communications, please log into Skyward to update your contact information.
Thank you for your patience as we navigate these procedures for responding to inclement weather. Please contact your student’s school principal if you have any questions.
Regards,
Dr. Jeffrey S. Fecher
Superintendent of Schools