Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice sent this email this afternoon to “Families of Westport Students”:
I want to take a moment to apologize for the delay in this morning’s school opening notification.
We know how important it is for families to receive timely updates about weather-related delays, early releases, and closings, and we regret any confusion or inconvenience this may have caused.
Our team was up early this morning, starting at 4:30 a.m., working with custodial staff and the Department of Public Works to assess road and parking lot conditions.
(Photo/Luke Hammerman)
Once we determined that extra time was needed to ensure safe access to schools, we made the call for a 2-hour delay and sent out the initial message at 4:54 a.m. using School Messenger.
Unfortunately, the system failed to deliver the message to everyone in a timely manner. While it reached staff right away, it was not delivered to families as quickly as expected.
A second message, including a phone call, was sent at 6:24 a.m. to make sure everyone received the information.
We have been working closely with our School Messenger vendor, Powerschool, to identify and resolve the issue that caused this delay. With more winter weather ahead, it’s important that our communication system works quickly and reliably.
Powerschool has assured us that the problem has been fixed, and we will continue to monitor our messaging to ensure updates reach you as soon as possible.
Again, I truly appreciate your patience and understanding. We value our partnership with families and are committed to keeping you informed in a timely manner. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Stay warm and safe!
