HSD makes every effort to ensure safety throughout the district. In the unfortunate event that safety is compromised, district leaders will communicate to staff, students and parents on the situation and potential impacts. These communications include information on school closures or late starts due to weather or natural disasters, structural damage to buildings or any potential threats.
In the event of adverse weather conditions, your family can expect to receive communications from HSD as early as possible. The communications will include messages via phone, text, and/or email depending on the contact information in Skyward Family Access. Updates will also be posted to our website and social media and shared with local news providers.
Below is a summary of our district’s inclement weather policy:
Student and staff safety is one of the HSD’s top priorities, so changing start/end times or closing school is a decision that we take very seriously. Ultimately, this decision is based on the condition of area roads and/or weather conditions and prediction models and whether those conditions pose a risk to the safe transportation of our students and staff.
Depending on the timing of the weather and severity of adverse road conditions, the HSD will announce bus snow routes, a 2-hour late start, or a school closure (or early release).
Bus snow route information is available on our Busing Information page. Please scroll down the page to the section entitled “Bus Snow Route Information” and click the link appropriate to your student’s school. If our district is operating on snow routes for AM pick-up, buses will also be on snow routes for PM drop off even if conditions have improved to eliminate confusion of pick-up points. If a bus route is canceled and parents have to drive their children to school they will also need to make arrangements to pick them up in the afternoon.
In the event of late a 2-hour start, bus pick-up schedules and classes will occur two hours later than normal. There will be no HHS preschool. There are no before-school activities during a two-hour late start and no busing to Cascadia Technical Academy (HHS students). Please see your school’s website for their two-hour late start schedules. If it is Wednesday, HSD schools will remain on the one hour early release schedule.
In the event of a school closure, all before-school and after-school activities will also be canceled. Should the Hockinson area experience inclement weather during the school day and buses cannot safely transport students home, students will be kept at school until safe transportation can be arranged.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
Who makes the decision to close or delay school due to inclement weather?
The Superintendent is responsible for making the final decision to delay or close school based on recommendations from First Student Transportation, our contracted student transportation provider. (Transportation officials will survey roads beginning at 3 a.m. if inclement weather is in the forecast).
When will I know if school is delayed or closed?
We understand any schedule change has a significant impact our families. Our district will make every effort to inform parents about delays or closures by 6:00 am. However, weather can be unpredictable and changing conditions may force us to modify decisions after that time.
How can I get the latest information on school closures or schedule changes?
As noted above, HSD notify families through SchoolMessenger, our automated notification system. Families can also expect to find additional information on local news media, our district's homepage (as well as individual school pages) and our Facebook and Instagram accounts.