Ensuring the safety of the students we transport is our number one priority. Nearly every year we must delay the start of school, cancel outdoor after school activities,or cancel school because of snow, smoke or other poor weather conditions.We encourage you to become familiar with the procedures followed during snow, inclement weather and emergencies.
- Go to frequently asked questions
- Go to what different announcements mean
- Go to air quality
How will youknow if school is delayed or canceled?
If we need to delay or close schools, we'll communicate in multiple ways:
- Websites: A message on the district website and all school websites.
- Social media: PostsonFacebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
- Automated phone calls, emails and texts: Please check the contact information in yourParentVUE account andif you need any updates please contact your school's office. Note these messages may take longer to send than other communications.
- News media: Information is sent to TV and radio stations who announce school delays and closures. You can also find that information on FlashAlert.net.
Frequently Asked Questions About School Closures & Delays
- How do you decide whether to delay or close schools?
- If the start of school is delayed, how do I determine the time of bus pick up?
- My student receives special education bus service. Will this change on a snow day?
- How should I prepare my student to ride the bus during inclement weather?
- When will we have snow make-up days?
- What about an option to shift to remote learning when it snows?
How do you decide whether to delay or close schools?
The Tacoma Public Schools inclement weather team considers delaying or closing schools when it is unsafe for students and staff to get to and from school safely. We base the decision on several things, including:
Weather: The National Weather Service provides updateson weather forecasts and possible impacts to road conditions in our area.
Road Conditions: We drive bus routes in different areas across ourdistrict. Roads may be clearin some areas of Tacoma, but dangerous in others.
Buildings and Grounds:We consider if our maintenance and custodial staff will have time toclear parking lots, sidewalks, and entrances before students arrive at school.
Regional Status:We look at neighboring school districts, weathersforecasts, and road conditions across our region to get a larger picture of how families and staff may be impacted.
If the start of school is delayed, how do I determine the time of bus pick up?
Add the length of the delay to the time listed on the emergency route schedule. For example, if your bus stop pick-up time is usually8:10 a.m. and the district announces a two-hour delay, the new pick-up time wouldbe 10:10 a.m.
My student receives special education bus service. Will this change on a snow day?
Door-to-door service for students receiving special education services will continue, provided the bus is able to make the home stop.
If it is not safe getting to the regular stop, your bus driver will provide you with information regarding where your stop will be located. For additional information, call our transportation department at 253-571-1855.
How should I prepare my student to ride the bus during inclement weather?
We make every attempt to keep to our pick-up schedule, but delays may occur with snow and icy roads. Students should be dressed warmly (coat, hat, gloves, waterproof boots or shoes) in case they need to wait at their stop for the bus to arrive.
When will we have snow make-up days?
Tacoma Public Schools builds snow make-up days into its annual school year calendar. If we lose a school day to snow, we can make up the lost day on one of the pre-planned make-up days. If we do not need to make up school, then the pre-planned make-up days become no-school days.
For the 2022-2023school year, TPS has two potential snow make-up days built into the calendar:
- Friday, February 17ahead of the President’s Day weekend
- Friday, May 26ahead of the Memorial Day weekend
Should TPS need to make up more than two school days, we have two additional potential snow make-up days added to the end of the school year – June 26and June 27.
View calendar
What about an option to shift to remote learning when it snows?
Tacoma Public Schoolswill notshift to remote learning if snow or bad weather requires the closure of schools.
What do the different announcements mean?
- Two-hour delay with normal bus routes
- Two-hour delay on a late start Wednesday
- School canceled, district offices open remotely
- School canceled, district offices closed
Two-hour delay with normal bus routes
If we announce a two-hour delay with normal bus routes,it means:
- School begins two-hours from the normal start time.
- Busses pick up two-hours from normal pick-up times.
- No out-of-district transportation.
- Morning preschool classes are canceled.
- Afternoon preschool classes will continue as normal.
- Full day preschool classes will start two hours late.
- Elementary band and orchestra are canceled.
- Afternoon activities continue as normal.
- District offices will open on a two-hour delay.
School and district staff should report to work within two hours of their normal start time. Some work groups, such as maintenance, custodial, nutrition services and security staff, who provide services on site may be requested to come in early. All staff should contact their immediate supervisor with questions or concerns.
Two-hour delay on a late start Wednesday
In the event a two-hour delay is needed on a late start day, school will begin two-hours past the normal start time. This means the late start is canceled and replaced with a two-hour delay.
- School begins two-hours from the normal start time.
- Busses pick up two-hours from the normal pick-up time.
- No out-of-district transportation.
- Morning preschool classes are canceled.
- Afternoon preschool classes will continue as normal.
- Full day preschool classes will start two hours late.
- Elementary band and orchestra are canceled.
- Afternoon activities continue as normal.
- District offices will open on a two-hour delay.
School and district staff should report to work within two hours of their normal start time. Some work groups, such as maintenance, custodial, nutrition services and security staff, who provide services on site may be requested to come in early. All staff should contact their immediate supervisor with questions or concerns.
School canceled, district offices open remotely
If we announce school is canceled and district offices are open remotely,it means:
- All schools and district buildings are closed.
- All activities are canceled, including before and after school.
- No out-of-district transportation.
- 12-month employees work remotely.
All twelve-month school and district employees should work remotely. Some work groups, such as maintenance, custodial,and security staff, who provide services on site may be requested to come in early. All staff should contact their immediate supervisor with questions or concerns.
School canceled, district offices closed
If we announce school is canceled and district offices are closed,it means:
- All schools and district buildings are closed.
- All activities are canceled, including before and after school.
- No out-of-district transportation.
- Employees do not report to work.
Air Quality
When the air quality in our region is affected by wildfire smoke or other factors, we take steps - such as reducing or canceling outdoor activity - to ensure the health of our students.
We look to the recommendations of Washington State’s Department of Health to determine whether to restrict outdoor activity.
Download Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Air Quality Info Sheet
- Where can I find a reliable air quality index?
- How will I know whether my child’s school will restrict outdoor activities on a given day?
- How is the decision made to restrict activities based on air quality?
- How do I let school know my child has a health condition requiring them to stay inside during times of moderate or unhealthy for sensitive groups air quality?
Where can I find a reliable air quality index?
How will I know whether my child’s school will restrict outdoor activities on a given day?
Tacoma Public Schools will contact families to let them know whether:
- Activities will be restricted during the school day
- Activities such as athletics will be restricted after school
How is the decision made to restrict activities based on air quality?
The primary tool we use in making the decision to restrict activities due to air quality the state Department of Health's Air Quality Guide for Schools & Childcare.
How do I let school know my child has a health condition requiring them to stay inside during times of moderate or unhealthy for sensitive groups air quality?
Contact your school’s front office, who will share the information with the school nurse.
Heat-related Inclement Weather
When temperatures are forecasted to reach anextreme level of heat, we takesteps - such as reducing or canceling outdoor activities -to ensure the health of our students.
We looktothe National Weather Service HeatRisk Map to make decisions on this topic.
