Celebration Delay

Regardless of which team prevails in the Super Bowl, students in the Pittsburgh Public Schools might consider themselves winners.

The school district said it will operate on a two-hour delay Monday, not because of ice, snow or freezing temperatures, but because folks will be up late Sunday watching the big game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals.

Superintendent Mark Roosevelt is no fan of delaying or canceling school, even in bad weather.

But Roosevelt said there's no reason to ignore the Super Bowl's potential impact on school operations. Asked whether he feared student and staff absenteeism, he said he hoped the delay would help to mitigate any problem.

The district, which also operated on a two-hour delay the day after the Steelers won Super Bowl XL three years ago, called the delay a safety precaution. Chief of Staff Lisa Fischetti said bus companies will have extra time to get vehicles on the road and to children waiting at bus stops.