Snow Letter

Snow covered downtown Olympia

Olympia School District Snow Letter

2023-24 School Year

(Spanish, Vietnamese)

 

Dear OSD Families,

 

Every year it seems snow or severe conditions lead to the closure or late start of our schools, and we want to keep you updated about those decisions.

 

Communications Protocol

The Olympia School District will inform you of school schedule changes as soon as possible through our phone/email/text messaging system, as well as on our website and social media platforms. We also encourage you to monitor local radio and/or television stations for up-to-date information about weather-related closures or delays. Be sure your student’s information is up-to-date in Skyward Family Access so you do not miss an important school schedule change announcement.

 

If school is open, but you think it would be unsafe for your child to attend, school officials will accept your judgment and it will be treated as an excused absence.

 

School Closure

If OSD schools close due to inclement weather, students do not report to class, regardless of whether attending school in-person or through ORLA online. OSD has a “Snow Make-Up Day” built into the calendar on May 24, 2024 to be used as a school day in the event there is a weather-related school cancellation prior to this date. Additional snow days, if needed, will be made up at the end of the 2023-24 school year.

 

2-hour Late Start

  • All schools, including ORLA online, start two hours late

  • OSD school buses pick up students two hours late

  • No zero hour classes or before school activities

  • No AM preschool

  • No AM child care

  • No Avanti High School periods 1-3 Monday-Thursday, and no AM academic support or activities on Friday

  • No out-of-district transportation

  • No district transportation to New Market Skills Center

  • Breakfast and lunch served throughout the district

 

3-hour Late Start (new late start option for the 2023-24 school year)

  • All schools, including ORLA online, start three hours late

  • OSD school buses pick up students three hours late

  • No zero-hour classes or before-school activities

  • No AM or PM preschool (full-day preschool continues) 

  • No AM child care

  • No Avanti High School periods 1-3 Monday-Thursday, and no AM academic support or activities on Friday

  • No out-of-district transportation

  • No district transportation to New Market Skills Center

  • Breakfast and lunch served throughout the district

 

Snow Routes

On rare occasions, weather conditions may make it necessary to modify school bus routes. When that occurs, the district and media outlets will announce the use of “snow routes” or “emergency routes.”

 

  • Emergency snow routes (East Side, Griffin AreaWest Side)

  • No out-of-district transportation.

  • No district transportation to New Market Skills Center.

  • Students in special education programs who are normally picked up at home and who are affected by snow routes will be contacted by the district Transportation Department staff with specifics on where they will be picked up.

 

At other times, weather conditions may require schools to close early. In that event, middle and high school students will be returned home first, followed by elementary school students approximately one to two hours later. Please instruct your child what to do should there be an early school closure when you are not home during the school day.

 

Parents are also asked to remind students to be especially careful and to dress appropriately when walking or waiting for a bus during bad weather.

 

It is our hope that weather conditions do not disrupt transportation and schools. However, our most critical concern is the safety and welfare of our students.

 

Sincerely,
Patrick C. Murphy, Ed.D. Superintendent

 


 

Please understand there are many factors when deciding to close or delay school. We exercise caution and overall safety for all 9,000+ district students when determining if school should be canceled or delayed. The 80 square miles covered by our district are very diverse geographically, and what one family experiences can be very different from what another family is experiencing on the other side of the district. Staff drive the streets in the early hours of the morning to determine the safety of all routes. We appreciate your understanding and support.

Please bookmark this webpage for reference