Transportation Emergency Information & Preparedness

PROCEDURES FOR EMERGENCY SCHEDULE CHANGES

In the event of a school delay, cancellation or emergency, families will be contacted by phone, text and/or email using our mass notification systems. Please ensure that your emergency contact information is up-to-date at your student’s school.

During inclement weather delays or cancellations, in order to get immediate updates via email and/or text, please sign up with the Flash Alert Network or download the free FlashAlert Messenger iOS / Android app.

School delays and cancellations will be posted on the District and school websites at mercerislandschools.org, on the District’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, local television and radio stations and on the information line at 206-236-3366. The District may also use the School Messenger notification system, which includes voice mail, email and texts.

THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS MAY BE USED FOR EMERGENCY CONDITIONS:

Schools are closed
Schools open - 2 hours late

Schools are closed

Schools open - 2 hours late

All schools, including all-day preschool, open two hours late. AM music and language programs are canceled. AM preschool and AM Kids Company is canceled.
MIHS Metro routes will run at their normal time if possible, but will not run two hours late. Off-island transportation will operate two hours late unless the out of district school announces a different schedule or closure.
All after school activities will remain as scheduled. Should these activities be subsequently canceled, notification will be made by school officials.

UNPLANNED EMERGENCY DISMISSAL

In the event schools must be closed early due to unplanned emergencies, students who ride buses will not be transported home. Early closures will be announced on the district web site, directly to flashalert.net subscribers, and by the School Messenger notification system.

Middle school and elementary students - Students will remain under the supervision of school staff until parents or guardians can pick them up. Standard student checkout procedures will be followed.

MIHS students:

If someone other than the parent will be picking up the child, parents should have already provided the school with the names of the individuals who are authorized to pick up the child. Unless an approved person picks up the child, the child will remain at school until the announced dismissal time.
It may be necessary in some situations to close schools early and hold students at school until a parent (or authorized person) comes to the school to pick them up. In this case, there will be an announcement that students are being held at school and will not be sent home.

Hazardous conditions during bus runs

If conditions become too hazardous to continue on regular bus runs while students are on board, elementary and middle school drivers will proceed to the nearest school or school of origin if possible. If conditions prohibit safely transporting students to a school, they will remain on board with the driver until conditions improve or until a parent or parent designee is able to retrieve them. The transportation office will continually monitor the status of all buses.

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