Edmonds School District cites long list of safety concerns in announcing Thursday school closures

An Edmonds School District custodial employee at work in the snow late last week. (Photo courtesy Edmonds School District Facebook page)

Edmonds School District schools are closed again on Thursday.

That’s the word from the school district Wednesday afternoon.

“While main roads are primarily clear of snow, we continue to have hazardous conditions on many bus routes and neighborhood streets around our schools,” the district said. “We also have ongoing on-campus concerns with snow and ice that our facilities department is working to address.”

The district notes that the forecast calls for freezing conditions overnight into Thursday morning, “which means the water and slush on untreated roadways and parking lots this evening will likely turn to ice.”

The district said it uses the following checklist to determine whether to reopen schools:

– Cars and buses must be able to navigate neighborhood streets.

– All school driveways, parking lots and bus loops must be plowed.

– Street plowing by cities and county often creates snow banks at entrances that must be re-plowed by the school district.

–  Sidewalks, which are still covered by deep snow and ice, must be addressed to ensure better walking conditions for our students.

– Walkways at schools must be cleared.

– Concerns for snow slide-offs on sloped roofs and overhangs and potential icicle drop dangers must be addressed.

– Downed trees and branches must be safely removed.

“We understand the strain that closures, delays and early releases we have had on our families and staff during this period of record snowfall,” the district said. “Please know that we never make these decisions lightly. The safety of our students, staff and families is always our primary concern.”

  1. Thank you Edmonds School Board and powers that be for caring about the kids and their safety. The one mile walking zone makes getting to school dangerous.
    Carrie McAfee

  2. Do we know what all the noise was at Meadowdale Middle School from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. today – 2/13/19? There was a lot of beeping – like an alarm going off or trucks backing up, and banging of things that sounded like dumpsters. Was wondering if a tree fell on the baseball field as that was where all the noise was coming from.

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