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Inclement Weather Procedures

Hood River County School District (HRCSD) will inform staff, students, and parents/guardians about school delays and closures due to inclement weather. 

HRCSD sends messages to families about delays, closures, and other weather-related decisions in three ways: phone call, email, and text message. HRCSD will communicate with families in their preferred language. The school district will use the contact information each parent/guardian provided during student registration. If a parent/guardian has a change in their contact information, they need to notify their student's school office. 

HRCSD also posts updates online:

  • Facebook: Connect with HRCSD at www.facebook.com/hoodriverschools
  • HRCSD website: Go to www.hoodriver.k12.or.us and look for a yellow bar at the top of the page. On this website, you can find other detailed and pertinent information, such as bus snow routes. 
  • FlashAlert: Download the FlashAlert app for updates about closures and delays. 

Information may also be found by calling Hood River County School District or neighborhood schools. Outside of normal business hours, individuals can access the School Status Message Line by calling the district or school number and pressing option 2 to get the latest updates on school status during inclement weather periods.

Inclement Weather Protocols

School closure or delayed start decisions will typically be made by 5:30am. HRCSD encourages families to make transportation and attendance decisions for their children based on their assessment of travel conditions in their area. 

  • When all district schools and facilities are closed, all daytime and evening activities are canceled.  
  • When there is a one-hour delay in opening school and buses are on snow routes, all schools will open one hour later than regularly scheduled.
  • When there is a two-hour delay in opening school and buses are on snow routes, all schools will open two hours later than regularly scheduled.
  • When school is on time and buses are on snow routes, all schools will operate on regular daily schedules. If the weather forecast calls for declining weather conditions throughout the day, the school district will implement snow routes for afternoon dismissal. Please refer to this webpage for information about snow routes.
  • When weather conditions necessitate an early dismissal/closure of schools, all daytime and evening activities/events are canceled.

Decision-Making Process

The recommendation to delay or close school is based on the ability of:

  • Our school district to operate school buses safely
  • Students and families to drive safely
  • Students to walk safely
  • Staff to get to work safely

To help with the decision-making process, our school district leadership team considers information provided by several sources, including: 

  • Our school district transportation team who assesses roads within the school district boundaries in the early morning (between 3am and 5am)
  • Forecast and current weather information from meteorologists and road cameras
  • Communication with public transportation officials (Oregon Department of Transportation, Hood River County, and City of Hood River)