Emergencies & Closures

Inclement Weather Closures

In the event of weather-related or emergency school closure or delay, information will be communicated as follows: 

The district instantly publishes the information through Flash Alert. The site is available 24 hours a day. Flash Alert distributes emergency information to news and media outlets.

• An email will be sent to all Riverdale parents.
• An automated emergency phone call is sent to notify parents and staff (typically between 5:30-6am) 
  • Phone numbers on record will be used, and caregivers will receive calls to all of their phones. 
  • NOTE: If a decision is made after 10 p.m., you will not receive a call until the next morning. Please check the other vehicles listed above.
• The closure or delay will also noted on the homepage of the district, high school and grade school websites 

You will not receive any notification if schools are opening on time. If no information is reported, it means that schools are opening on time.

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3 weather scenarios families should plan for:

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1. Delayed Start

A delayed start may be necessary when road conditions due to inclement weather conditions are not safe for travel on a regular schedule, but are forecasted to improve. A delayed start means the school day will start at a designated later time.

For example, A two hour delay would mean:

• High School start time – 11 am
• Grade School start time – 10:30 am 

Additional Details for a two hour delay:

• Buses will arrive at their stops approximately two (2) hours later than the usual time.
• After-school and athletics may be canceled.
• After-school care will close at the regular time.

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2. Early Dismissal

An early dismissal can be called if weather conditions are in the process of or are expected to worsen before the end of the school day. An early release will enable students and staff to arrive home before weather conditions worsen. On early release days schools/worksites will close early (e.g. 1-hour, 2-hours early).  After school activities/care and athleticswill be canceled on early dismissal days.

Severe weather conditions that occur during the school day: 

In the event of severe weather conditions that begin during the school day, parents will be notified through local media as well as through our emergency phone system. If schools close early, students will be notified of the early dismissal time. Students who ride the buses will wait for their arrival and will be transported home as usual. Students, who walk, drive or bike to school, may leave at the time of dismissal. Please talk with your children and have a safety and a supervision plan in place in the event this course of action is required. It is critical that school phone lines remain clear for emergency situations.

In the event of any of these inclement weather situations, please refrain from calling the school, unless it is an emergency. It is imperative to keep our phone lines open during these times. 

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3. Schools Closed

School buildings will be closed for students and staff if there is a strong chance of inclement weather predicted the night before, or if inclement weather is already underway early that morning (or if inclement weather is strongly predicted for later in the school day). In the case of a school closure athletics and after-care will also be canceled.

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Decision Making 

We take severe weather decisions very seriously, and we always put the safety of students and staff above all else. As a result, we will always err on the side of safety. Many in our community live outside of Riverdale's boundaries, so there are multitude of factors to consider when it comes to inclement weather. To make these decisions, we actively consult with neighboring districts and are always in contact with our transportation company that drives our routes early in the morning. 

News sources:

In addition to FlashAlert, the district and school websites, phone calls and emails, you can also find closure information broadcast by the following news sources:

Radio stations that carry school closure information include: KEX, KXL, KUIK, KMUZ, KWBY, KXYZ, KFXX, KOPB, KGON, KXL, KDBX, KISN, KUPL, KWJJ, KKJZ, KKCW, KXYO, KKRZ, KKCW, KXYO, KKRZ, KFXX, KKCW.

Television stations that carry closure information include: KOIN, KATU, KGW.

Questions?

Please direct any questions about emergency procedures to your child’s principal: 

High School – 503-262-4844

Grade School - 503-262-4842