Details About School Delays and Closures

January 9, 2009 - All Central Valley Schools OPEN
All schools open and operating on normal schedules.

January 8, 2009 - All Central Valley Schools OPEN
All Schools open and operating on the normal Thursday schedule. Thank you for your patience!

Welcome Back - Snow Safety Letter to Families from Superintendent Small (pdf)

January 7, 2009 - All Central Valley Schools Closed
Student safety is paramount. Crews continue to clear snow from school roofs as advised by structural engineers in anticipation of increasing snow loads with incoming rain. All elementary, middle and high school activities are cancelled. 

January 6, 2009 – All Central Valley Schools Closed
Schools closed as crews work proactively to clear snow from many school roofs in anticipation of heavy rain. No child care. All elementary and middle school activities cancelled. Check high school activity hotlines for updates.

January 5, 2009 – All Central Valley Schools Closed
Schools closed as required by Spokane County Sheriff. No child care. All elementary and middle school activities cancelled. Check high school activity hotlines for updates.

December 22, 2008 – January 2, 2009 – WINTER HOLIDAY

December 19, 2008 – All Central Valley Schools Closed
Schools closed due to continued winter storms and deep snow. No child care. All activities cancelled. District office closed.

December 18, 2008 – All Central Valley Schools Closed
Schools closed due to winter storms and deep snow. Child Care closed. All activities cancelled. District office closed.

Snow Closure Questions & Answers
January 7, 2009 (posted at 6 a.m.)

How do you decide when to close schools?
The decision to close school is always difficult. Each decision is made based on conditions that change, sometimes by the minute. In each case, student safety is paramount. A number of factors are taken into consideration during winter weather events including road conditions of bus routes, the condition of school grounds and facilities as well as the condition of travel paths for students to and from school. We also consider weather reports and work closely with Spokane County road crews. Of course we want our students in school, but their safety is our top concern and drives the decision to close schools. 

Why wasn’t Central Valley ready to open on January 5?
We were. We had already planned for a two-hour delayed opening on January 5 when the Spokane County Sheriff ordered all schools closed. Throughout the two-week winter break, our custodians and maintenance crews worked long hours to keep snow cleared from school walkways and parking lots after each storm. We monitored snow levels on our roofs and worked to ensure drainage paths were open and functioning normally.

When will Central Valley Schools reopen?
We are focused on doing what is necessary to make our schools safe in order to welcome our students back as quickly as possible. Central Valley Schools will reopen as soon as it is safe for students and staff to return. We are focused on snow removal from roofs to ensure safe snow loads before we allow students back into our schools. We are also asking our community and public partners to continue working to clear safe walking paths for our students when they do return to school. We are encouraging parents of children who walk to school to drive, carpool or walk with their children until there is a safe walking path available. Our bus drivers will be adjusting bus stops for safety and communicating this information to their student riders once school is reopened.

What is being done to ensure school roofs are safe and don’t collapse under the weight of heavy snow?
Much is being done to ensure the structural integrity of our schools due to snow loads on roofs. In fact, this is the reason Central Valley schools have not yet reopened. With varied volumes of snow on our roofs and the recent warming weather pattern, the district hired structural engineers to confirm our calculations, assess the snow loads on our roofs and make recommendations about snow removal. The engineers tell us that our school buildings are in good shape, although snow loads are of concern on some roofs. Crews have been working to clear the snow from the roofs of at least 17 of our 23 school buildings. They began on the flat roofs of our oldest buildings and continue clearing snow from roofs where the snow loads are of concern. We have also turned up the heat inside our buildings beyond normal levels to assist with the snow melt.

UPDATE: January 7 @ Noon - Due to rapid snow melt and updated snow load measurements, work crews have been removed from the roofs of all Central Valley schools. They are no longer needed

Which schools are having snow removed from the roof?
Based on engineering recommendations, we currently have snow removal crews on the roofs of 17 of our 23 school buildings. These schools include:

• Barker High School and Learning Center
• Bowdish Middle School
• Broadway Elementary
• Central Valley High School (limited areas of deep snow drifts)
• Chester Elementary
• Early Learning Center (old University High)
• Evergreen Middle School
• Greenacres Elementary
• Horizon Middle School
• Kindergarten Center (completed)
• McDonald Elementary
• North Pines Middle School
• Opportunity Elementary
• Ponderosa Elementary
• Progress Elementary
• Sunrise Elementary
• University Elementary

Schools not included on this list current have light snow loads on their roofs and are being assessed on a daily basis to determine if snow removal will be needed.

What are you doing to clear sidewalks to make walking safe for students?
Since the first big snowfall on December 18, our custodians and maintenance crews have been working steadily to keep walkways and parking lots on school grounds clear of snow and ice. Where possible, we have also been able to clear areas of sidewalk next to the public roadways. With the relentless snow storms and subsequent snow plowing of streets, most sidewalks in Spokane County are now buried under more than four feet of solid ice and snow berms. Clearing these sidewalks requires heavy equipment and road closures. We continue to evaluate the sidewalks and walking paths which are adjacent to our schools and work in partnership with city, county and law enforcement officials in an effort to create safer walking paths for students.

When will the missed school days due to snow be made up?
No decisions have yet been made about students and staff making up the missed school days due to snow. This is a School Board decision and the Board is expected to address the issue at an upcoming meeting.