Penfield Central School District has a comprehensive Districtwide School Safety Plan. Emergency procedures are regularly practiced with the faculty, staff and students through a variety of safety drills each year. 

The District consults with many experts in the field of school safety, including the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and Brighton Police, and continuously makes improvements as new protocols develop. These emergency plans are provided to, and reviewed with, all local emergency service providers.

View the 2026-2027 Districtwide School Safety Plan

Penfield Central School District uses ParentSquare to provide information to parents and staff through phone calls, voice messages, and emails. This system is used to communicate with parents and staff on issues impacting school safety in a timely and efficient manner.

The District also uses its website and social media accounts, as well as local television stations to share out emergency information when appropriate.

We often receive questions regarding the process used in making determinations about school closings. This is always a difficult decision and we understand that a decision to open or close in bad weather will have a major impact on our families. While we recognize that students are best served academically by being in school, the safety of our students is always our top priority.

Factors Taken Into Consideration
With that in mind, there are many factors that are taken into consideration when making this decision. The following information is considered in all decisions relative to the closing of school:

• District staff members assess the conditions of the roads, sidewalks and parking lots, taking into account snow and ice, as well as other hazards such as downed trees or power lines.
• The Director of Transportation consults with other area Directors to gather information about road conditions in surrounding areas.
• Our staff consults with the highway supervisors in the towns that are included within our district to assess the progress of snow clearing.
• Short and long-term weather forecasts are considered.
• When appropriate, the potential for wind chill is considered. The Monroe County Department of Health recommends that we consider closing schools if the wind chill is expected to reach -25 degrees.

Decision Process
Typically, the decision process regarding school closings occurs between 4 and 5:30 am, with a final decision made by 6 am.

Notification to Parents
If the decision to close is made, this will be communicated to parents through ParentSquare, the district website and social media sites, and through the local media.

Early Dismissal
Except for very unusual circumstances, the district will not implement an early dismissal for weather. Early dismissal introduces the risk of young students arriving home to an empty house. Also, road clearing efforts by the DPWs are geared toward regular dismissal time. Overall, we believe it is safer once children are in school to keep them there until the normal dismissal time.

Personal Responsibility
As always, it is up to parents or guardians to make the final decision regarding school attendance. If you feel the weather is too severe, you have the right to keep your children home. Likewise, if you are concerned about poor weather that has developed during the day, you may make arrangements to pick up your child. In any case, please communicate your decision with your school.

The Penfield Central School District routinely works with students and staff members on prevention. The District provides support programs and services for students and staff including counselors, psychologists, social workers and other specialized mental health professionals. The District also supports a variety of community partnerships with mental health and police agencies to offer continued support and to enhance safety and security.

In December 2019, the District formed a Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) at each school as well as at the District level. The purpose of the team is to identify potential threats and to assist students and staff members who are struggling and in need of support. The team is led by PCSD in partnership with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Monroe County Office of Mental Health. 

The team’s philosophy is based on a restorative approach to prevent acts of targeted violence, which balances the safety needs of the school community with the health and wellness of the person at-risk for committing an act of violence against themselves or others. In each case, the team follows a set protocol to identify and discuss the needs of each individual, and to collectively determine appropriate next steps and interventions to address their concerns before they escalate to the level of potential self-harm or harm to others.

PCSD is pleased to offer the Safe School Helpline to help ensure the safety and security of our students and staff members. Anyone who has a security or safety concern can anonymously report it by calling the toll free number below, texting the number below, or filling out a web-based form.

This Helpline is monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is designed to assist in reporting any wrongdoing that could impact our students, staff or schools. Some examples of situations you may wish to report include specific threats, acts of violence, weapons, theft, drug or alcohol use, sexual harassment/abuse, bullying/cyberbullying, or threats of suicide. Reports will be transcribed and forwarded to the appropriate district officials and/or emergency responders for action.

• Toll free number: 1-800-418-6423, ext. 359 (follow the prompts)
• Text: 614-426-0240 and type “TIPS” to begin the reporting process
• Web form
• The Safe School Helpline app is also available for download in the App Store and Google Play.