In anticipation of a snow and ice storm that is expected to impact the metro region by mid-morning, school districts in and around Portland canceled classes on Thursday.
At five in the morning, parents in the Beaverton and Portland school districts received notices that all associated activities were canceled along with the day’s school closure. Additionally, the Tigard-Tualatin, Hillsboro, and Parkrose school districts canceled classes.
In anticipation of a complete cancellation, several Willamette Valley school districts have already declared two-hour morning delays.
It is expected to snow before 10 a.m., although probably not enough to cover the bottom of the Willamette Valley. However, by midday or later in the afternoon, there is a good chance that the weather will shift to a freezing rain mix, according to meteorologists.
That might create a nightmare situation for school pickup, similar to the ice storm in February 2023 when schools remained open past the customary midafternoon departure time, leaving some students stuck on busses for hours into the night.
According to Hillsboro School District spokesperson Beth Graser, the forecast of freezing rain beginning in the middle of the morning is particularly concerning. Parents rushing to pick up younger children who would otherwise be in aftercare programs, students slipping and falling on iced-over pavement on their way home, and inexperienced teen drivers on icy roads could all result from school districts splitting the difference and announcing an early release in such circumstances.
Another possibility that districts have considered was placing buses on snow routes, but this option comes with a number of complex transportation problems.
According to district spokesperson Valerie Feder, Portland Public Schools reached its decision primarily on the basis of safety, which included talking with city of Portland transportation officials and dispatching staff to inspect road conditions.
Graser and others pointed out that there are risks associated with making the choice to cancel school early. Some parents become irate over a delayed workplace, and youngsters lose crucial time in school and other activities if the weather isn’t as bad as anticipated.
Although many districts adjust their calendars to allow for the likelihood of one or two snow days year, Oregon already has one of the shortest school years in the country. In March, when the chance of snow significantly diminishes, decisions are usually made over where to add more make-up days to the calendar.
Julia Silverman writes for The Oregonian/OregonLive about K–12 education. You can email her at [email protected].
