Inclement Weather

Snow on Bainbridge is beautiful… and complicated. Our island’s hills and microclimates make it possible for one school bus to face icy switchbacks while another drives under blue skies.

Before calling a “snow day’ or often times an “ice day,” our team considers:

• Staff safety: Can teachers and support staff (many commuting from off-island) make it in safely?
• Transportation: Can buses safely navigate steep, icy hills starting at 6:25 a.m.?
• Facilities: Can our maintenance crews clear and de-ice pathways before students arrive?

We weigh all that—and sometimes, we still wish for a crystal ball. Thanks for your patience as we do our best to keep everyone safe, warm, and informed.

In order to help our families and staff plan accordingly, we work hard to get communications out as quickly as possible. Crews from our Transportation Department check road conditions around 3:30 a.m. Our goal is to begin communicating information by 5:30 a.m. However, Mother Nature can have plans of her own, and sometimes we are delayed due to unknown conditions. Please know that we are working hard to make a decision and communicate that decision to you!

Simply add two or three hours to your student's regular start time. For instance, if your child's school usually begins at 7:50 a.m., a two-hour late start has school beginning at 9:50 a.m. If it is a three-hour late start school would begin at 10:50 a.m.  Please note: Dismissal times remain the same and are not pushed out two hours.

Add two or three hours to your student's regular morning pick-up. For instance, if your child's bus usually arrives at 7:23 a.m., a two-hour late start will have the bus arriving approximately at 9:23 a.m. and a three hour late start would have the bus arriving at 10:23 a.m.

Simply subtract two hours from your student's regular dismissal time.

Again, simply subtract two hours from your child's regular scheduled stop. For instance, if your child's bus usually returns at 2:50 p.m., a two-hour early release will have the bus returning at approximately 12:50 p.m. 

Visit the Transportation Department Emergency/Snow Bus Routes & Stops webpage to access these routes. Please remember to adjust the times if we are operating on a late start or an early release. 

The short answer? Equity and intentional design. In our recent community survey, we heard overwhelmingly that families want students to spend less time on screens.

Nearly half of our students don’t have take-home devices — and in BISD, we’ve made a deliberate choice to keep our youngest learners off screens for homework until sixth grade.

That decision supports healthy development, family connection, and balanced learning… but it also means we can’t instantly “pivot” to remote instruction when the island turns white or ICY.

So when you see that Snow Day Alert, know it’s part of our commitment to balance — even if it means one more day of hot cocoa and sledding instead of Zoom!

We know — nobody watches the weather (or their inbox) more closely than families on a possible snow day! Here’s a quick peek behind the curtain at what can lead to a BISD closure:

Snow – Yes! If buses can’t safely make their routes and staff can’t travel to school, we have no choice but to call no school.

Ice – Also yes (and sometimes worse). Ice can turn our island hills into skating rinks. If roads or sidewalks are unsafe, we’ll delay or close to keep everyone safe.

No Power – If PSE doesn’t expect power to be restored for the entire school day, that specific campus (not necessarily the whole district) will close.

Every decision starts with one question: Can everyone get to school — and back home — safely? So if you’re wondering why the call was made (or not made), just know: it’s not easy, it’s not taken lightly, and it usually involves early alarms, cold coffee, and a lot of weather maps.

If severe weather moves in unexpectedly during school hours, our top priority is keeping students and staff safe while working to get everyone home as conditions allow.

In some cases, we may end the school day early to make sure buses can complete their routes safely and staff can travel home before conditions worsen.

We also know that getting back to school to pick up your child(ren) can be difficult for some families — especially on an island where roads, ferries, and hills can all pose challenges. That’s why we will always have staff on hand to care for any students whose families can’t get to school right away.

It truly takes a village — and we’ll always make sure every last student makes it safely home.

No need to worry — we do not send students home if the power goes out!

Each school has a plan for how to operate safely when the lights start to flicker. âš¡ Our buildings are equipped with backup generators or battery operated systems that power emergency systems, alarms, and main hallways so students and staff can move safely through the day.

While it may get a little dim or chilly for a bit, our teams are prepared — and we’ll stay in close contact with PSE for updates.

Every school’s plan looks a little different, but the goal is always the same: keep everyone safe, calm, and cared for until power is restored.