Edmonds School District (ESD) along with many other school districts in Washington state suffered from snowstorms just before winter break. Snowstorms continued to block roadways for about two weeks. In response to these weather conditions, several days of school were canceled. Principal Greg Schwab said, “Everyone was saying the storm was coming so they just took caution.”
In Mountlake Terrace, weather was consistently below freezing from Dec. 14 to Dec. 21. Many of these days included snowstorms that prevented many schools from opening and now means schools need additional days at the end of the year to fulfill state requirements.
To guarantee student’s safety, ESD announced two-hour delays on Dec. 15 and 16 due to the snowfall from the weekend. These days do not require making up and students did attend all of their classes.
School was canceled for Dec. 17, 18 and 19. ESD was closed Wed. On Dec. 17 weather forecasters predicted a large snowstorm to hit Mountlake Terrace around two o’clock when most students are leaving school. The school district decided that the entire day school would be canceled instead of making it an early dismissal day partly because it would be hard for elementary children to get home while their parents were at work. The storm actually arrived around four o’clock that day and continued to fall with breaks until later in the week.
Families were notified that school would be canceled Dec. 17 the night before. Typically the ESD announces its snow plans the morning of the snow day.
There was also a two-hour delay on Jan. 9, the first day of school after winter break, but this time will also not require making up.
When the school district decided upon this year’s calendar, it included snow makeup days to ensure there were 180 student contact days. The three canceled school days require additional days to be tacked onto the end of the school year.
Instead of school ending on June 16, the academic year will continue until June 19. June 16, 17 and 18 will all be full days meaning MTHS will release students at 1:50. June 19 will be an early release day ending at 10:15 a.m.
May 22, currently a Teacher Professional Development Day, is the next scheduled snow makeup day. The last scheduled make-up day is June 22. Any more makeup days will be scheduled for after June 22.
This new schedule affects all students except for seniors. Seniors will still graduate on June 11.
Cultural week was canceled due to snow days and the lack of time ASB had to plan the week of lunchtime activities. Other MTHS activities toward the end of the year could be canceled or delayed but nothing is finalized.