31 Replies to "SCHOOLS: Wednesday plans announced"

• Necht February 12, 2019 (6:23 pm)

  Is there a cut off time for the district to announce closures? 

  • Emilie February 12, 2019 (7:29 pm)

    5:15 or 5:30 am I think. :/

• Dan February 12, 2019 (6:28 pm)

  Seattle Public Schools better step up and be open.  I get that they are focused on tudent safety but I have been driving all over WS today.  Only random side roads have been slight issues.  They have anow routes, right?  This is getting really tough on parents who have to burn vacation or go unpaid.

  • WSB February 12, 2019 (6:41 pm)

    They generally don’t and can’t just open certain parts of the district. While our area didn’t get more snow, some other areas of the city did.

  • Mike February 12, 2019 (6:45 pm)

    I hear what you are saying.However, we need to consider that a lot of staff do not live here in Seattle. They need to be able to drive safely into work.

  • sw February 12, 2019 (6:54 pm)

    Don’t forget that buses need drivers. If the drivers can’t get to the lot, the buses don’t move.  Also, buses go down a lot smaller streets than you think. 

  • WS local February 12, 2019 (6:55 pm)

    It’s about getting to work (bus drivers, teachers, staff, etc.). Most of these people do not live inside the ‘school zone area. SPS has a very odd shaped district which spans a long and diverse geographic area. My area is reasonable but I am not the ‘all’. Be patient. Check Bellevue’s district information, they published just that. Assessment is taking place due to staff reporting inability to get out of their areas or they don’t have power or there’s downed trees. Seattle’s not much different. 

    • WSB February 12, 2019 (7:02 pm)

      Highline included a similar statement: “All schools are closed on Wednesday, February 13. Many roads in the north end of the district are still impassable, and buses are not able to access bus stops–even the alternate stops.” (And the “north end” of their district is White Center and vicinity, just south of us.)

  • WS parent February 12, 2019 (7:11 pm)

    I work in Home Health and attempted to see patients in various areas of Seattle today (all part of SPS school district).  I passed several stuck cars and had to skip seeing 2 patients because of road conditions (I have 4 wheel drive).  I almost got stuck 4 times.  Based on my driving today, as frustrating as it is, I completely understand why SPS cancelled school tomorrow.

  • Quora February 12, 2019 (7:17 pm)

    I’m not trying to discount what you said, Dan, but everything about this storm has been very “Seattle-centric”. What i I mean by that is people need to realize that daily operations of schools and businesses depend on people that live all over the Puget Sound area and sometimes even further like Cle Elum, Marysville, Tacoma, hell, even Bellingham. Our general area has gotten so expensive to live in (there is a housing affordability crisis going on, but that is for another topic) and a lot of people often drive great distances just to show up to work every day.Let me give you a real world example of what I mean. We had to leave West Seattle this weekend because it was announced on Sunday afternoon that SPS was closed. We drove to our relatives house east of the city so our relative can take care of our daughter. East of Seattle, notably Snoqualmie Valley, is buried in a mound of snow the likes of which I’ve never seen. It’s probably 3+ feet deep out here, and the public officials in the Valley have said “don’t leave your homes because we haven’t been able to plow anything”, which they haven’t.Point is, there is a large part of King County right now that is totally unpassble by vehicle. Hell, some PLOWS are getting stuck out here, that’s how bad it is.It shouldn’t be unimaginable that people who help make schools operate (including SPS) live in this direction and literally can’t leave their house right now, it is that bad. This is/was a historic snow storm.

• mmarie February 12, 2019 (6:35 pm)

  SPS,  please notify us of plans so we can prepare. 

  • Nect February 12, 2019 (6:47 pm)

    I secons that! 👆🏻

  • Nikki c February 12, 2019 (6:50 pm)

    SPS closed Wednesday. Just got the email.

• MJ February 12, 2019 (6:46 pm)

  I would wager on a 2 hour late start for Wednesday for SPS’s

• WS mom February 12, 2019 (6:53 pm)

  Wednesday: SPS = CLOSED

  • WSB February 12, 2019 (6:54 pm)

    Yup, just got that here:
    https://www.flashalert.net/id/SeattleSD

• Safety first February 12, 2019 (7:23 pm)

  

  • WS Resident February 12, 2019 (7:35 pm)

    Safety first: I couldn’t agree more 

  • Kim February 12, 2019 (7:55 pm)

    Yep.

• -Admiral neighbor February 12, 2019 (7:34 pm)

  I’ve read that there’s an opportunity for SPS  and other districts to apply to the Superintendent of Public Instruction for a waiver on make-ups for all the snow days we’ve had. My understanding is that SPS was granted this waiver in 2008, and since the governor declared a state of emergency for the latest snowstorm that could also help this cause. Does anyone know about this possibility and how to advocate for it? I want the kids to get out on the scheduled date, and I’m sure many other families and teachers want that, too. 

  • WSB February 12, 2019 (8:11 pm)

    There is a ststement from the state supt that I intend to link above. Here:
    https://medium.com/chris-reykdal/schools-can-apply-to-waive-missed-days-during-state-of-emergency-for-storm-870b15f1f66a

  • HSDworker February 12, 2019 (8:22 pm)

    I work for Highline and I want to get out on the date we were supposed to, however we do not get paid for these snow days, meaning that if students do not make up those days at the end of the year we are out the possibility of making up that money loss.  I make barely anything so I would rather get out later and work longer into the summer. 

    • Jenni February 13, 2019 (1:33 pm)

      Maybe you can enlighten me… how does the school staff not get paid for these snow days? Aren’t they salary? Thanks in advance. 

      • julianne M dynneson February 13, 2019 (2:56 pm)

        most teachers are salary but there is staff there on contract as well.

  • MercyMoi February 12, 2019 (8:52 pm)

    Even if districts were granted waivers, SPS wouldn’t let out before Monday, June 24th. January 30th, June 21st, June 24th are built-in make-up days for snow closures. 

• John February 12, 2019 (7:43 pm)

  Please add Westside School to that list! Thank you.

• Sarah February 12, 2019 (7:51 pm)

  Explorer West Middle School is closed Wednesday.

• HP Neighbor February 12, 2019 (8:23 pm)

  I spoke with an SDOT employee clearing the elementary near us. Quote: SDOT was requested by SPS to do what they can to get schools open” We had a good 5-6 inches melt today… but still lovely 8+ inches remaining on the school grounds and side streets. My kids snow bus routes have parts that are impassible. I appreciate SDOT and all the work they are doing to clear the roads, yet it is also frustrating missing work/school. 

• Emilie February 12, 2019 (8:44 pm)

  North Seattle College is having a delayed start (11am) as of now.

• sscstaffmember February 12, 2019 (10:41 pm)

  Regarding the South Seattle college closure for Wednesday, their message inadvertently omitted mentioning the New Holly satellite location, which is also closed.

• Jennie February 13, 2019 (6:29 am)

  Do school buses have seat belts yet? I know 6 years ago when I was a teacher they still didn’t. It has never made sense to me to put our most precious cargo into vehicles with no seat belts, especially since they go on the highways and snow too.

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