Seniors and Families:
Reminder that our Financial Aid Information Night is tomorrow Wednesday, October 21st, from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM in the Hockinson High School Library! Representatives from Clark College and Lower Columbia College will present valuable information on financial aid, grants, and scholarship options, and will be available to answer your questions. Please see the attached flyer for more details.

Last week's Inside Scoop is here! Have a great week Hawks! https://app.smore.com/n/d6rkfp

Hello Families! The 9/30 HSD News Round-Up is now posted and ready to read!

Here is the link: https://app.smore.com/n/crsmg-hsd-news-round-up

UPDATE: Tour registration is now closed. Over 45 parents and community members have signed up for this event and we cannot accommodate any more. The HSD will be offering another tour next October and is considering adding another tour this spring.

Tour participants will not only get better acquainted with each school’s campus, leaders, and goals, they will also meet members of the HSD School Board and Superintendent. Food samples will also be provided by our Nutrition Services Team…and this year every HSD “school tourist” will receive a Strong Foundations, Soaring Futures t-shirt!

Check out the enclosed flyer for event details and a registration link.

Hello HSD Families:

The latest HSD News Round-Up is posted and ready to read!

Here's a preview: From phonics instruction to honoring Dolly Parton, the September 30 edition of the HSD News Round-Up has a little bit of everything. Learn about the HSD's newest School Board member, how HHES is utilizing its $10,000 education grant and HMS fall athletes engaged in competitive conditioning, where HHS alumni are building successful careers, and so much more!

Catch up on what's happening in the HSD HERE!

HSD Tech Surplus Sale TODAY

We wanted to remind the Hockinson community that a public surplus sale of used technology equipment will be held today September 29, 2026 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at our district office located at 17912 NE 159th Street, Brush Prairie, WA 98606.

Items will be sold on an "as is" and cash only basis and all sales are final.

Available for sale are iPads (5th Gen & wi-fi only); HP G8 Chromebooks; Raspberry Pie 4s, desktop computers, and more. View the complete item list below:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YgeTJFnhTGDsu1V7O2SdsQEn1S4ncyjN/view

The Elections Office is in the process of installing video cameras at each of the 22 official ballot boxes located in Clark County, including the ballot drop box in front of the Hockinson Community Education Center.

The Clark County Elections Office webpage states: "The decision to do this was made after a ballot box in East Vancouver was vandalized in 2024 which caused a fire. We believe the presence of video cameras can serve as a deterrent and can potentially provide actionable evidence for law enforcement. The cameras will only record the area surrounding the ballot boxes. They will not record and transmit license plate or driver information to a shared system."

Spring 2026 assessment reports are being sent home today with students in Grades 4-12. Reports include your child’s Smarter Balanced Assessment scores in English Language Arts and math. They also include a snapshot of past performance and a brief guide to understanding the results. Science scores are included for current Grade 6, 9, and 12 students. Please note that reports are not available for students who are new to HSD this year.
We’re proud of our Hockinson students and all they accomplished last spring! HSD ranked #2 in Clark County for math and #3 for English Language Arts. New 2026 SchoolDigger.com rankings also place HSD among the top 20 school districts in Washington. In addition to informing district planning and teaching strategies, these results reflect the hard work of our students and staff, along with the support of our families. Thank you for being such an important partner in your child’s learning!

The September 12 edition of the News Round-Up features how the HSD uses data to inform teaching strategies and boost student learning, an exciting update about the HHS Skilled Trades Building, the benefits of HHES's gym-cafeteria swap, and so much more!

You can view it here.

Dear HSD Parents:

Bus route times and pick-up/drop-off locations are now available at the Busing page on the HSD website as well as the 2026-27 Back to School page. Thank you for your patience while we confirmed and updated this information.

Please keep in mind that it takes a while for new schedules to get established, so it is possible that buses might be running a little late the first couple of weeks. Families are encouraged to get the FirstView app to track the status of their student's bus in real-time.

We wish you and your student a smooth and positive start to the new school year!

Hockinson School District will be updating some of our educational technology platforms for students and parents. We want to share what you can expect and where to find information beginning in the 2026-27 school year. Read more here.

Dear Parents:

This afternoon, I learned that our parent notification system became disconnected from our student information system at the end of the 2025-26 school year. As a result, I regret to inform you that all messages sent between June 18 and August 6, 2026 were not successfully delivered to families. Essentially, we were sending messages but, unbeknownst to us, families weren’t receiving them.

Below are links to Hockinson School District messages that were posted through our website’s Live Feed that were not successfully delivered as emails and text messages this summer:

• August 5: HSD News Round-Up 

Link: https://www.hocksd.org/live_feeds/12760238 and here is the direct link to the actual newsletter: https://app.smore.com/n/7fxju-hsd-news-round-up)

• July 29: Summer Asphalt Maintenance at HSD Campuses 

Link: https://www.hocksd.org/live_feeds/12715383

• June 28: 5th Grade & Cell Phone Policy Decisions at School Board Meeting 

Link: https://www.hocksd.org/live_feeds/12704587

• July 15: Bookmobile & Blueberry Festival 

Link: https://www.hocksd.org/live_feeds/12649436 

However, it is possible that some families may have already seen these stories cross-posted on the website, social media, and the HSD News Round-Up e-newsletter.

This issue is impacting all district and school emails, SMS text messages, and app notifications. We intend to resolve it as soon as possible. Next week, you will receive messages from each school that your student(s) attend with links to the schools’ messages that were not delivered this summer.

I recognize that this is a big inconvenience and I’m sorry. I also know that families depend on direct notifications to keep up-to-date on school news, which is why I am committed to resolving this issue as soon as possible. In the meantime, I am sharing this message on both Thrillshare (which may not successfully deliver) and Qmlativ to make sure that you receive this important information in a timely manner. So, it is possible that you may get two duplicate emails.

We will update families as we have more information.

Sincerely,

Steve Marshall

Superintendent

The August 5 edition of the HSD News Round-Up ushers in the 2026-27 school year with a recap of summer highlights, back-to-school information, recent wins for HSD students and staff, new districtwide electronic policies, next year's 5th grade move to HMS, and much more! Read it HERE.

Summer Asphalt Maintenance at HSD Campuses Thu, 7/30 and Fri, 7/31

We wanted to make families aware that HSD Grounds employees will be extending the life of our pavement by sealing cracks at the following locations (times are approximate):

Asphalt Maintenance and Site Closures:

Thursday, July 30:

8 am - Noon: HMS Bus Lot/Turnaround and Fire Lane 

Noon - 4 pm: HHS Stadium and Stadium Parking Lot. (This work will not interfere with parent pick up for cheer camp.)

Friday, July 31:

8 am - Noon: District Office Fire Lane and Community Gym Parking Lot

Noon - 4 pm: HHES Parking Lot

We ask that visitors to these campuses plan accordingly. Thank you for your understanding.

Dear Hockinson School District Families,
I’m writing to give you an update on two decisions made at the school board meeting last night. The Hockinson School Board voted to move 5th grade to Hockinson Middle School beginning in the 2027-28 school year. The board also voted to implement a new cell phone policy that will take effect this fall.

Moving fifth grade to Hockinson Middle School beginning in the 2027-28 school year
Beginning in the 2027-28 school year, Hockinson Middle School will move to a grade 5-8 model.
This decision followed months of diligent work by our Citizens Advisory Committee. Parents, staff, and community members studied enrollment data, visited schools, discussed options, and reviewed community survey feedback. I want to thank everyone who took the time to share their perspectives in our two community surveys on this topic.

The school board and I expect that this decision will bring a mix of reactions. We recognize that this is not an ideal solution and does not permanently solve elementary overcrowding. At the same time, we need to address the very real challenges at HHES which, serving over 900 students, is the largest TK-5 elementary school in Washington state. That size affects students in many ways, from impacting instructional time and personalized learning support to traffic, campus safety, lunch schedules, and the reliance on aging portable classrooms.

Moving fifth grade to Hockinson Middle School will provide temporary relief while bringing HMS enrollment closer to the average for middle schools in Clark County. With this change, HHES enrollment will remain about 300 students larger than the county’s average elementary school.
As a parent myself, I know that transitions create uncertainty for everyone involved. Over the next year, our focus will be on planning a thoughtful transition that reflects the priorities we've heard from families, students, and staff.

This school year, the HSD Citizens Advisory Committee will help coordinate a transition process, including family, staff and student engagement opportunities. Families are invited to the following events to help identify student supports needed for a successful transition:

• Family Information Night: Monday, October 19 at 6:30 to 8 pm; Hockinson Middle School

• HSD’s Tour of Schools: Wednesday, October 21 at 8 to 11 am; begin at Hockinson Community Center

We will continue sharing updates on the 5th Grade Move page and creating opportunities for our community to provide input as this work moves forward.

Cell phone policy effective this fall
The HSD School Board also adopted a new cell phone policy to help limit distractions during instructional time and create a standard approach to cell phones across all three schools in our district. The policy is based on input from families, staff and students. In a survey this spring, 85% of respondents supported limiting cell phones at school.

Expectations regarding phone use vary by grade level:

• At HHES, personal electronic devices must be "off and away" at all times throughout the school day.

• At HMS, personal electronic devices must be "off and away" during all instructional times and passing periods throughout the school day. Cell phone use is permitted during lunch.

At HHS, personal electronic devices must be "off and away" during all instructional times throughout the school day. Cell phone use is permitted during passing times and lunch only.

“Instructional time” is defined as the entire class period, from the beginning bell to the release bell. "Off and away" means that personal electronic devices are stored out of sight and not accessed (e.g., stored in a backpack or locker) and placed in a setting that does not disrupt students or the learning environment (e.g., turned off or placed in silent mode).

Some important things for families to know:

• This policy applies to all personal electronic devices.

• During times when phone use is not allowed, students may contact their parents/guardians using phones in school offices.

• Schools will follow all individualized education plans and 504 plans as written.

In the event of an emergency, students would be allowed to access their phones.

This change will help students stay engaged in class and contribute to positive environments in our schools. We appreciate your partnership to promote healthy phone use habits for Hockinson’s students.

Sincerely,
Steve Marshall

Hockinson Families:

We want to make you aware of two upcoming events - both of which will take place at the Hockinson Community Center:

- The FVRL Bookmobile will be on site for book borrowing and check-out this Friday, July 17 from 10 AM - Noon and

- The Hockinson Blueberry Festival returns this Saturday, July 18 from 9 am - 1 pm.

You can find additional details here:

Bookmobile

Blueberry Festival

We hope you are enjoying this wonderful summer!

HSD Families:

Are you starting to prepare for the new school year? Find supply lists & back to school events on the HSD's Back-to-School Webpage:

ttps://www.hocksd.org/page/back-to-school