Winter weather may bring road and driving conditions that cause changes in school operations such as delayed opening, early dismissal, or closure. 

Even when road conditions in one part of the district appear passable, driving conditions on hills and in other areas of the district can impact the operation of buses on some routes. 

• Normal school operations will prevail unless a change of schedule is announced.
• Expect morning buses to be late during severe weather.
• If buses cannot complete afternoon routes, students will be returned to their schools.

Our goal is to make information available to families about school closure or changes in the school operations by 5:00 a.m.

We provide this information to families in a variety of ways:

• Prominently displayed on our district homepage.
• Social media posts on the district Facebook and Twitter accounts.
• Local television and radio news stations.

If you do not see Federal Way School District closure information on any of these communications channels, it means we are operating on a normal schedule.

When winter weather or hazardous driving conditions result in school operations, the district will announce either a 2-hour late start or closed status with or without limited transportation.

In spite of Doppler radar and other advances in weather prediction, it is difficult to be sure about how inclement weather will impact road conditions in the thirty-five square miles the District encompasses.

When snow or inclement weather is in the forecast, we have a plan in place to assess and monitor actual weather and road conditions overnight and in the early morning hours.

• The District night security officer checks road conditions and monitors the weather overnight.
• Transportation staff drive the roads beginning 3:30 a.m. to assess driving conditions.
• Maintenance staff check for possible utility failure that may impact a school or neighborhood.
• The Superintendent makes all decisions to change school operating schedules based on the weather, road and driving conditions.

As a parent, you may decide to keep your child or children at home if you feel it’s not safe to make the trip to school. You are in the best position to decide about your local conditions and your child’s judgment and driving capabilities.

While we go to extensive measures to determine if roads district-wide are safe for travel, it’s physically impossible for us to be on every street corner and side street at all times. We rely on you to be the final judge when it comes to the safety of your child.

This means:

• All schools will begin two hours later than normal.
• Bus pick-up schedules will also be two hours later than normal.
• Buses will use regularly scheduled stops unless the message specifies limited bus transportation.
• Breakfast will not be served when there is a 2-hour late start. Interested scholars may visit the school office for a light snack until lunch, which will be served at the normally scheduled times.
• All BEFORE-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, athletics and extra-curricular events are canceled.
• Each individual school will determine if AFTER-SCHOOL activities, athletics, or extra-curricular activities will be canceled.
• School will dismiss at the normal time.

There will also be:

• NO out of district transportation.
• NO A.M. and P.M. Puget Sound Skills Center.
• Full Day ECEAP (Uptown Square, Truman, Sherwood Forest, Camelot, Mirror Lake, Panther Lake) will be delayed two hours behind regularly scheduled start time, and will dismiss at the regular time.
• No part-day ECEAP, No A.M. or P.M. Preschool.

Every effort will be made to announce cancellations prior to the end of the school day, but due to changing weather conditions cancellations may be made at any time.

Please click the link below to help identify your stop time in the event of a 2 hour late start:

Late Start Conversion Chart

This means:

• All or part of some bus routes will operate on a modified route due to road conditions.
• Limited Bus Transportation routes may be used on the morning and afternoon bus runs.
• If the weather and road conditions improve, regular bus stops may be used in the afternoon.
• Families will be notified of the change prior to dismissal time.

Click here for limited transportation bus route information.

Schools are open, classes are in session, but NO BUSES will be operating. This includes “in-district,” “out-of-district” and “Special Needs” buses.