A Message About Air Quality Advisory in Anticipation of the City’s Code Orange Today

Dear School District of Philadelphia Families,

AirNow, a partnership of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Park Service, NASA, Centers for Disease Control, and tribal, state, and local air quality agencies, is forecasting a “Code Orange” today with conditions improving throughout the day.

Should this be the case, individuals should avoid being outdoors as much as possible. At schools, outside activities such as recess, outside field trips and field days will be moved indoors if possible, postponed or canceled. The District’s Athletics Office will support schools in rescheduling outdoor athletic games that were previously scheduled.

In addition, all windows and doors at school buildings will remain closed to minimize air pollution. According to the forecasts for the rest of the week, temperatures are not expected to exceed 78°F. Though warm, indoor temperatures should not reach levels that would warrant early dismissal.

We will continue to follow guidance from the City, and will provide regular updates as the air quality status changes.

Sincerely,

Oz Hill
Chief Operations Officer
The School District of Philadelphia