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2020-21 Tumwater School District

Snow/Inclement Weather Closure or Delay Procedures

In case of snowfall, ice or other weather conditions that may require a late start or cancellation of school, the following procedures will be followed for a district-wide delay or closure:

  1. District staff survey key roads (Alpine Hills, Scott Lake, Tumwater Hill, etc.) to determine conditions and safety factors.
  2. Transportation Supervisor notifies the Superintendent or designee by 5:30 a.m. (or earlier) of road conditions and makes recommendation on action to take.
  3. Superintendent or designee converses with Olympia, North Thurston, and Yelm superintendents to determine a joint approach, if possible. Superintendent or designee notifies Transportation Supervisor; also notifies district leaders who communicate decision to staff, parents and the media.
  4. Bus drivers are notified ASAP by Transportation Supervisor after the decision is made via School Messenger (robocall).
  5. Transportation Supervisor activates and communicates bussing plan for the day depending on whether buses are late, on snow routes, or service is canceled.
  6. District families will be notified by 6:00 a.m. via School Messenger (robocall). Notification is also sent via Flashalert.com, the District Twitter account (@TumwaterSDNews), Facebook page, and the District webpage.

Guidelines for Staff in Inclement Weather Conditions

Remote Instruction during short-term closures: In the event of short-term closures, the District will consider the feasibility of providing educational services versus extending the school calendar. If remote instruction is required during short-term closures (three days or shorter), the District will be as flexible as permitted by OSPI and State Board of Education guidelines in allowing teacher-directed learning to occur independently during the period of short-term closure.

Our plan for making a cancellation/delay decision will follow the same procedure as our regular inclement weather plan.

Advance Notice: If weather conditions predict adverse weather that may result in closure for on-site services, we will consider notifying staff to be prepared with a plan to continue instructional services remotely. This can allow us to continue instruction and avoid the need to extend the school year calendar in June.

Inclement Weather Options:

  1. No School – School may be closed due to widespread power outages, unexpected storms or other weather events that make remote instruction impractical.
    • District Office administrators, support staff, and Buildings & Grounds employees, as well as the supervisors of Transportation and Food Services, report to sites as normal if safe to do so.
    • Site administrators will decide on a case-by-case basis whether to report to their sites. All administrators should communicate their decision when calls are made.
  2. Late Start – No AM Preschool
    • Employees working on-site should report to their site at regular time, if safe to do so.
    • Building administrators have the flexibility to process safety issues with their employees.
    • If an employee believes there is a safety issue involved (ie: lives 30 miles away and roads are extremely bad) he/she may choose to take appropriate leave as provided by contracts.
  3. Closed for On-Site Services – Generally, if school is closed to on-site services due to unsafe driving conditions, there will be no on-site meal service that day. Decisions about meal service during this type of closure will be based upon power to buildings, road conditions, parking lot availability, and other factors. Superintendent will make this decision in coordination with Transportation Supervisor, Facilities Director, and Food Services Supervisor.
  4. Early Dismissal – No PM Preschool
    • Building administrator should work with staff to determine when on-site staff leaves. Parameters to consider:
      • All students being served on-site have left or are accounted for;
      • Safety, health and welfare of staff are taken into consideration