- Mid Valley Elementary School
- School Closures
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School Closures
Winter Weather, Road Conditions, and School Closures
Most of Hood River County’s students get on our school buses at over 1500 bus stops in the county. Over 500 students walk to school. We rely on parents to check the safety of the bus stops and their students’ walking route to school to be sure that students are safe.
Checking the safety of the students’ route to school is especially important in winter because weather in the Gorge can be quite challenging! Each parent needs to decide if the weather or road or walking conditions are not safe FOR THEIR STUDENTS, considering the students’ maturity and clothing, as well as the weather, and route to school.
The expectation in Hood River County School District is to hold school EVERY DAY that we can safely transport students, and that our staff in their winterized vehicles can get to work safely. This expectation may be different than other places where you have lived.
Parent Choices
Road conditions, and walking or bus stop conditions do vary from place to place in the county. Some days, parents may wish to keep their stu+dents at home because of bad weather or road conditions, even when schools are open. Here are some options:- Transport your own students to school later in the day when you feel it is safe.
- Keep your students at home for the day.
In both cases, ABSENCES ARE EXCUSED if parents provide a written excuse when the student arrives at school, and students may make up missed assignments. Athletic practices missed because of unsafe road conditions will NOT be penalized.
Student Transportation
When weather and road conditions are a concern, school district staff gathers information from a variety of sources to decide if it is safe to transport our students to and from school. OUR FIRST CONCERN IS THE SAFETY OF STUDENTS AND STAFF. Our school buses are well-equipped for winter roads and our drivers are trained to drive in all kinds of weather. We know that it is safer for students to ride on a school bus than to drive themselves to school. We encourage beginning drivers to take the bus when road conditions are poor.Delayed start or school closure Information:KIHR Weather and Snow line 541-386-1336Portland TV stations 541-386-2511 (message on delayed starts & closures)For additional information, listen to the local radio stations starting at 6 A.M. each morning.
In addition, the School District has a new alternative in finding out if schools are closed due to adverse weather. Go to Flash Alert to find updated information.
Decisions to delay or close school are normally made at 5 a.m. each school day, and posted by 5:30 a.m...
Closing School Before the End of the Day
Parents are responsible to have child care arrangements when school starts late or closes early. Please be sure your child and school principal know about these arrangements. Announcements of early closing will be made through the radio, TV stations, and phone numbers shown above. Closing school before the end of the day may present serious problems for our younger students and this option will be used rarely.