New real-time weather data system to enhance safety of students in PSUSD
Gavin Nguyen
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – New technology will protect students from dangerous weather conditions.
Palm Springs Unified School District announced it deployed eight Perry Weather Monitoring Stations across its schools. It said the system tracks temperature, air quality, humidity, and severe weather (including lightning) to help schools make informed decisions about outdoor activities.
PSUSD set up a webpage showing real-time data from these weather stations. The eight stations are installed throughout the district, and parents are instructed to find the closest weather station to their student’s school as outlined in the chart below.
District officials explained that these weather systems help make them more informed decisions for canceling sports practices and games because it provides site-specific weather data.
“We’re over 500 square miles wide, and so what that means is sometimes, the weather on one side of our district is very different from the weather on the other side,” stated Laura Dyson, the district’s Director of Health Services.
It’s a problem that schools have had to navigate in the past. Assistant Principal Art Sanchez, Jr., of Palm Springs High School, recounted, “If you’re in Desert Hot Springs, because of the wind, or you’re closer in the cove, where we are, where the wind isn’t a factor, we were shutting down the whole district based on the air quality in a place that is 30 minutes [away].”
He also added that making the weather data available to the public creates more transparency between the decisions of school administration and parents.
“Parents will always know and the community will know that we’re making the best decisions on the best data for our students safety,” he said.
Other districts in Riverside County have already adopted these weather systems, though PSUSD officials said they’re glad to be the first in the valley to implement the technology.
“We are happy to be the first to implement it, but I’m hopeful that other districts in the Valley will jump on this with us because we, as you know, sports, travel. And so we need to be able to know what’s going on all around us,” said Dyson.
Officials at Desert Sands Unified School District confirmed it will be installing the same system in the coming months.
“Our Board recently approved a contract with Perry Weather, Inc., for the installation of one weather station at each comprehensive high school. These stations will serve as reference points for schools within their respective regions. This system will provide all our schools with real-time weather data and heat stress measurements, offering more precise information than general weather apps. The Perry Weather system will deliver instant updates and notifications, enhancing our existing heat mitigation efforts. As a result, the district’s email notifications will be discontinued in favor of the system’s real-time alerts. Wet bulb globe thermometers will still remain a key part of our safety protocol, providing an additional layer of heat monitoring. The Board originally approved the agreement with Perry Weather, Inc. on June 24, 2025. A small amendment to the contract is being presented for approval tonight. Once finalized, the district will move forward with installing the systems for use across all schools.”
Desert Sands Unified School District
News Channel 3 also reached out to Coachella Valley Unified School District. A spokesperson provided the following statement:
Currently CVUSD does not have plans to implement this technology in our schools. However, we continually evaluate tools and resources that enhance safety and learning environments for our students, so we’ll certainly keep this in mind.
Coachella Valley Unified School District
Be sure to stay with KESQ as we continue to follow this technology.