School Closures

The decision to close schools due to inclement weather or bad road conditions will be announced on www.schoolreport.org and most television and radio stations including:

You may also call the district information line at 253.571.1000 beginning at 6 a.m. for school closure information. The decision to close schools is made by the superintendent as early as possible, usually around 5:30 a.m. The district will also send a telephone message to families as soon as a decision is made to close schools. Please ensure your child’s school has your most current contact information.

• If you do not hear “Tacoma School District No. 10” listed in the closures, you may assume schools are operating on a normal schedule.
• If you hear an announcement that schools will operate “two hours late, normal bus routes,” it means:
  • Half-day programs are canceled (No Head Start, ECEAP or special education preschool)
  • Elementary JAWS and band are canceled
  • No out-of-district transportation
• If you hear an announcement that schools will operate “two hours late, emergency bus routes,” it means:
• Half-day programs are canceled (No HeadStart, ECEAP or special education preschool)
• Elementary JAWS and band are canceled
• No out-of-district transportation
• Emergency bus routes AM, normal bus routes PM
• If you hear an announcement that “school is closed,” it means:
  • School is closed
  • All activities are canceled
  • Twelve-month employees report to work
• If you hear an announcement that “school is closed, district offices closed ” it means:
  • School is closed
  • All activities are canceled
  • All district offices are closed
  • Employees do not report to work

If school is delayed, staff members are expected to report when it is safely possible so they can prepare for the arrival of students. Listen to radio and television for the latest information. Changing conditions may cause the district to alter the status of school.

Check the district Web site, www.tacomaschools.org, for updates. If there are late start days on inclement weather days, staff will be advised as to student/staff arrival times.

TPS Staff:

Staff Work Day in the Event of Inclement Weather

LATE START
In the event of a delayed start of school, certificated staff or work sites impacted by such a change shall make a good faith effort to arrive at work at the normal start time. However, if due to hazardous driving conditions, the employee is unable to arrive on time there shall be no deduction of leave time or loss of pay provided the employee arrives one-half hour prior to the altered start of the student school day.  In the event school(s) are dismissed early due to inclement weather, certificated staff shall be released one-half hour after the student dismissal.

SCHOOL CLOSED
If K-12 schools are closed because of inclement weather, natural disasters or other emergencies, the following groups of employees are required to work:

1. Administrators
2. Twelve (12) month professional-technical employees*
3. Twelve (12) month office professionals*
4. Exempt employees

*However, the above employees, instead of working, may elect one of the following options if approved by the appropriate division head or designee consistent with their respective collective bargaining agreement:

1. Use earned vacation or applicable leave
2. Use accrued compensatory time
3. Be counted absent without pay
4. Reschedule hours (only if hours can be made up at the regular rate of pay during the same work week)

Staff will work regular hours when schools are open and operating on emergency schedule.

If the Superintendent closes an individual school due to emergency conditions, the staff will report for work as directed. The following employees shall report to work unless otherwise directed by supervisor or designee: maintenance, custodial, food services and security.