With the school year headed into winter months, Sequim School District officials are planning for possible partial or complete closure of schools because of inclement weather.

“Our first and most important priority is to ensure the safety of all our students,” Sequim schools superintendent Gary Neal said. “While the decision to open, close or delay the school start time can be complicated due to changing and unpredictable weather occurrences, it is our goal to inform our families as soon as possible using a variety of communication avenues. Our decision options will be kept to a minimum to assist with communication.”

The district targets three options when considering poor weather conditions:

1. Schools open at regular times. Buses either operate on regular routes at regular times or on pre-determined snow routes. If buses operate on snow routes in the morning, they also operate on snow routes in the afternoon regardless of changing weather conditions. There will be no Opportunity to Excel (OTE) sessions on snow route days.

2. Schools open on a two-hour delayed start. Schools open two hours later than regular times. This means for Helen Haller Elementary, Sequim Middle School, Olympic Peninsula Academy and Sequim High School, a two-hour delayed start time Monday-Friday would be 10:15 a.m. For Greywolf Elementary School, the two-hour delayed start time Monday-Friday is 10:30 a.m. Bus pick up times will be two hours later than the normal times and may operate on regular routes or on snow routes. Preschool programs will not be offered on delayed start days. Announcements concerning evening activities, practices, etc., will be made on the day of the delay.

3. Schools will be closed. If the decision to close is necessary, all scheduled school events, practices, community events that utilize school facilities and other programs will be cancelled.

Safety in mind

On snow route days, parents/guardians of students are asked to be there to pick up their student(s) at the drop-off locations by the listed times (for those students not walking to their homes).

If a parent or responsible adult of a bus-riding student does not meet his/her child at the drop-off location, that student will remain on the bus and return to the bus garage with the driver, district officials said.

“Our buses are the safest means of transportation during inclement weather,” Neal said. “Our drivers are highly trained and all precautions are taken to ensure the safety of our students.

“Rarely is school cancelled as a result of our inability to safely operate our buses,” Neal said. “However, a number of factors must be considered when making our inclement weather decision.”