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.
Beaverton, Hillsboro, Gresham-Barlow, North Clackamas, Portland Public Schools, and Tigard-Tualatin school districts have canceled all associated events and suspended classes for the day. Additionally, schools in the following districts are closed: Sherwood, Oregon City, Forest Grove, Parkrose, West Linn-Wilsonville, Reynolds, Lake Oswego, and David Douglas.
Portland State University, Mount Hood Community College, and Clackamas Community College are among the community colleges and universities that announced they would be closed on Thursday. According to Portland Community College, virtual classes will continue as planned even while the facility is closed.
Several Willamette Valley school districts have declared morning delays of two hours and may decide to cancel altogether.
As of right now, only one metro-area district—Estacada—has declared that it will hold courses virtually on Thursday rather than canceling them entirely. During the severe winter storm that canceled schools throughout the Portland area for a full week in January 2024, Estacada and Canby were the only two schools in the area to provide online courses.
The Reynolds School District, located at the western edge of the Columbia River Gorge, informed staff and families that Friday would also be a closed day because of a teacher professional development day that had already been scheduled. They also reminded them that Monday is a prearranged school holiday.
Residents of the Portland region awoke Thursday to windy conditions and lows around thirty degrees. Before noon, people could expect rain, snow, and sleet, according to the National Weather Service. In the afternoon, there will probably be more of the same along with freezing rain. Snow and sleet accumulations should be around an inch, but there should be little to no long-term ice accumulation.
On Thursday, school districts had contemplated an early dismissal. However, it can create a nightmare situation for school pickup, similar to the ice storm in February 2023, when schools remained open past the customary midafternoon dismissal 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].
