Weather Procedures and Snow Routes

To receive email and/or text alerts you need an email address and cell phone number in Skyward. We send updates through our notification tool, ParentSquare, which receives phone and email contact information data from Skyward, our student information system. Even if you have not activated your ParentSquare account, you will still receive notification as long as your contact information is up to date in Skyward.

We closely monitor the weather. Most often, decisions are made in the early morning rather than the night before so that the most current weather conditions and forecasts can factor into the decision.

We recognize the impact on family schedules and will communicate any decision as quickly as possible. In the early morning hours (typically beginning at 3 a.m.), staff drive main roads and side streets throughout school district boundaries to assess driving and walking conditions. Information is compiled and reported to the superintendent, who will make the decision – based on the best available information at that time – to close, delay and/or run buses on snow routes. We understand these decisions disrupt family life and appreciate your patience during these severe weather situations. While we know that our students and families are best served when we are open, our top concern is the safety of our students and staff.

Generally, no.

Our school district is made up of about 100 square miles. Road and walking conditions usually vary widely from one neighborhood to another. This makes for a difficult decision on whether to close or delay school and/or use snow bus routes in all or only parts of our community. The decision whether to close or delay applies to all schools so that it will be easily understood and equitable for all students, staff and families. In rare circumstances when an emergency such as a prolonged power outage affects only a specific area, schedule changes may be needed for that school or set of schools.

Any changes to the school schedule are usually announced before 6 a.m., and we use a variety of methods to keep families informed:

• Alerts: To receive email and/or text alerts you need an email address and cell phone number in Skyward. We send updates through our notification tool, ParentSquare, which receives phone and email contact information data from Skyward, our student information system
• Check bellinghamschools.org
• Check @bellinghamschools on Instagram, @bellinghamschools on Facebook and @BhamSD on X/Twitter
• Call 360-676-6400 for a recorded message.
• Tune in to local media: 790 AM, 96.5 FM, 104.1 FM, The Bellingham Herald, Cascadia Daily News or Seattle media.

We try, if at all possible, not to dismiss school early due to weather, except in rare extreme weather conditions.

Dismissing early is problematic when families are not expecting it. Families may always choose to pick up their children early. We do our best to monitor and anticipate conditions. If needed in severe weather, we would use emergency contact information to communicate with parents.

School is delayed when the weather is bad but is forecasted to improve and warm/thaw after sunrise.

This also allows our buses to operate in better conditions with less traffic. To maximize student learning time on days when weather requires a late start for safety, all schools will begin two hours later. All out-of-district daytime transportation is canceled when on snow routes or a delayed start (e.g. Northwest Career and Technical Academy). If a two-hour delay is needed on a planned early dismissal day, we may decide to dismiss students at their regular time.

When school is delayed, students will catch the bus about two hours later at their regular bus stop or at their snow route stop if snow routes are in effect:

10:00 a.m. start for elementary schools

10:30 a.m. start for high schools (see schedule)

11:15 a.m. start for middle schools (see schedule for Fairhaven, Kulshan and Whatcom) and (see schedule for Shuksan only)

Morning preschool is generally cancelled when we are on a delay. Afternoon preschool may or may not happen as scheduled. See messaging that day for clarity.

Yes.

All school and district athletics held on or off district property — including mandatory or voluntary practices/rehearsals, activities (field trips and school/district facility rentals), meetings/events previously planned for before, after school and evening — are canceled. When school is open on snow routes or delayed, school and district administrators decide whether to cancel activities, meetings and events on a school-by-school basis. This information will be communicated to families.

State law requires that children attend school 180 days.

Children must be present for a certain number of hours each day in order for it to count as a school day. When school is delayed, children are in attendance the hours needed to meet state requirements. When school is closed, missed days must be made up unless they are waived by the state. State law does not currently allow school districts to add minutes onto each school day to make up missed time. Our school district’s 180-day calendar is part of the contract with our labor associations.

We recognize the importance of having children in school on a regular schedule with quality, uninterrupted learning time. With safety as our primary concern, decisions that impact student learning are always weighed with careful consideration. Please be patient during weather situations as we share in the frustration regarding schedule changes.