Baldwin-Whitehall School District has implemented a new district-wide notification system called Skylert. Skylert allows Administrators the ability to send instant communication via phone, SMS text message, and e-mail to parents and staff. Our goal is to utilize this effective and efficient communication system as part of our continuous effort of keeping staff, students and parents informed and safe!

As a parent/guardian, this new notification system allows you the opportunity to identify your notification preferences and opt in/out of specific message types through your Skyward Family Access account. Please note that EVERY parent/guardian in the Baldwin-Whitehall School District has been registered in the Skylert notification system. Changes to your contact information can be done via Skyward Family Access or by contacting your student's school.

Note: Only Primary Guardians are able to update the Skylert primary contact information via Family Access

The Skylert notification system allows the ability to disseminate information to parents and staff by way of three notification types: Emergency, General, and Attendance.

• Emergency notifications will reference events such as safety related incidents and other emergency notifications determined by district administrators. Emergency notifications will be sent only as needed.
• General notifications are for informational purposes only and will reference various district and campus events and information. In addition, General notifications will be utilized to alert parents of school delay and/or closure due to inclement weather.
• Attendance notifications will only be generated if your student has an unexcused absence for more than one period during an instructional day. If your student is marked absent, a system generated attendance phone call will be sent between the hours of 9:00AM and 9:00PM depending on the child’s grade level.

The Decision: The Superintendent is required by law to ensure that schools are open on all scheduled days unless conditions become unsafe for students. Unsafe conditions can take many forms including, but not limited to, inclement weather, water line breaks and power outages. A critical consideration in making the decision based on weather related factors is whether school vans and buses travelling at safe speeds can transport students to school safely and reasonably on time.

The Process: Emergencies are unforeseeable and require immediate action consistent with the District or Building Safety Plan. If a decision is weather related, the process of gathering information begins as soon as the event is anticipated and relevant information is examined throughout the evening through the early morning hours. Whenever possible, the decision will be made the previous evening in order for the announcement to be broadcast on the 11:00 PM news. Normally, the decision is made by 5:30 AM so that parents and students can be informed through the media and the District web site.

The Information: Relevant information is provided to the Superintendent by the Director of Transportation and the Director of Administrative Services after conferring with local police and public works departments. The United States Weather Bureau and local weather sources provide meteorological data to support the final decision. When appropriate, school personnel in surrounding districts are consulted. The primary reasons for delays or cancellations are dangerous road conditions and extreme cold.

Extreme Cold: The District will consider delaying the opening of school if the temperature drops to -10 degrees or colder. Predicted wind chills of -10 degrees or colder from sustained gusts will likely result in a school delay. If the temperature drops to -20 or colder, the District will cancel school. Similarly, wind chills of-20 degrees or colder from sustained wind gusts will likely result in cancellation.

Communication: Decisions to delay or cancel school will be communicated through the media (KDKA, WPXI and WTAE) and the District web site (www.bwschools.net). Since information is available through the media and web site, there should be no need to phone the schools or administration. The District's position regarding delays and cancellations will always be public, and any changes or modifications will be communicated as soon as the need arises.

Non-Public Schools: Transportation for non-public schools within the District follows the Baldwin-Whitehall School District schedule.

Parent Consideration:  The Superintendent makes a decision for the District at large. However, conditions within the District may vary and parents may decide to send or not send a child to school based on individual factors.   Parents have the right and responsibility to make decisions in the best interest of the health and safety of their own children. Consequently, the District will honor decisions made by parents who assess conditions, consider individual circumstances and act according to what they determine to be in the best interests of their child.

Baldwin-Whitehall School District is implementing a new program in our cafeterias developed by Educational Biometric Technology™ (EBT), the leader in biometric finger identification solutions for education and other markets.  The program introduces a device that uses a new way for your child to access his/her meal account by using a sensor that identifies the child by the touch of his/her finger.

We have compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions to address any issues or concerns parents may have: