November 19, 2024

Families,

Winter and inclement weather is approaching. Lyle School District considers the safety of our students and staff as our NUMBER 1 priority. Please read through the information below to make sure that you are up to date on the process and what you can expect when we need to delay or cancel due to unsafe conditions.

We have several ways that we communicate with families. The most important thing you can do to stay informed is make sure we have a current email and phone number for you. If you need to update it, call the school office at 509-365-2211 or email support@lyleschools.org. If you have never received a call from our auto-caller, please contact the office as soon as possible so we can make sure you are receiving calls, emails and text messages.

Here’s more info on our decision process and communications:

Weather-Related School Closures

When the weather outside is frightful...  deciding whether to close school is not an easy task.

Snow may accumulate in one area and not in other areas. Lyle School District administration puts a great deal of effort and thought into determining whether to keep schools open, start late, or close schools due to inclement weather conditions.

Although a lot of factors come into play, our number one consideration is student safety.

We know, for example, that road conditions on High Prairie or Appleton can be much different than in the rest of the district. Parents always have the final say regarding whether it’s safe to send their children to school during inclement weather. All weather-related absences will be excused with notification to the school.

No News is Good News!

If you do not receive a call or email, and nothing has been announced on the local news, this means school is running on a regular schedule.

If we do make changes to our regular schedule, here are a few messages you may see, and what to expect:

School Closure - If school is closed, all out-of-district transportation, meetings, field trips, after-school activities, and athletics games/practices will be canceled for the day unless otherwise announced. All evening meetings/functions scheduled to take place in district facilities will also be canceled. 

Two-Hour Delay - If there is a two-hour delayed start PreK-12 students that need breakfast can get a “grab and go” Breakfast after the Bell and lunches will be served at the normal time. If weather conditions worsen after we have called a two-hour delay, school may be cancelled for the day. Note – When we delay on a Wednesday, it is only an additional 1-hour late start, so school starts at 10:30.

Snow Routes - There are times when we will announce that buses are on snow routes.  In these circumstances, buses will meet parents and students at a more accessible location.  You can find snow routes here.

Early Release - In extreme conditions, students may be released early. Because we know parents/guardians may not able to return home from work to meet their children, our district will only dismiss students early from school in extreme situations. We also will take several measures to ensure our younger students aren’t left without supervision, including keeping them here at school until the parent can pick them up. Parents should have a back-up plan in case this kind of situation arises. 

Here are all the ways we share information about school delays or closures due to weather or other disaster situations, including earthquakes.

• Phone Alert - Parents will receive an automated phone call/text message to their designated primary phone number in the event of school closure, delay, or early dismissal. Calls are initiated before 6 a.m. when possible.

• Email - All parents/guardians with an email in Skyward will receive an email and/or a text message from the district via School Messenger, our email notification system. 

• Facebook - Inclement weather notifications will be posted on the Lyle Schools Facebook page, @lyleschools.

• The district website, www.lyleschools.org, will also have a notice on the district website homepage.

• Media - Radio stations such as KACI - 103.9 FM/1300 AM, KMSW 92.7 FM and KIHR 98.3 FM/1340 AM and Portland television stations KATU - 2, KGW - 8, KOIN - 6 and KPTV - 12 will announce schedule changes by district name after 6 a.m. Schools will be operating on normal schedules if no announcement is made.

• Washington state schools and municipalities use a service called www.flashalert.net to report the school's status to news media and emergency providers, and parents can check school schedule status on this page as well. Look for Lyle School District under "View Local News" > Portland/Vancouver/Salem > Columbia Gorge Schools.

Have questions or concerns? Email us at support@lyleschools.org

Dr. Ann Varkados

Superintendent