An onslaught of severe winter weather has led to a wave of school closures across Oregon and southwest Washington. The freezing rain, part of an ice storm bearing down on the region, prompted most districts to shut down for the day to ensure safety for students and staff.
The National Weather Service's Ice Storm Warning spelled out a chilly forecast that kicked in on Tuesday afternoon and is slated to stick around into Wednesday morning. Some locales could end up under a half-inch thick cloak of ice. Portland Public Schools, the largest district in Oregon, made an early call to cancel Wednesday's classes, as reported by KGW.
A statement from PPS highlighted the havoc wreaked by the cold snap: "We do know that some schools have burst pipes, and others have frozen pipes (no running water) which could burst as temperatures climb tomorrow," the district said. Moreover, concerns about power still being down in locations and potential risks of traveling through icing conditions only compounded the decision. Beaverton School District echoed similar distress, with several schools lacking power and confronting burst pipes and flooding issues.
While Portland Public Schools decided closure to be the "safest decision," Portland Community College, Lewis & Clark, and other institutions followed suit, pulling the plug on Wednesday operations, as per information collected by KOIN. George Fox University opted for a delayed start, with the Newberg and Portland locations opening at noon, holding classes remotely until then. Additionally, Jesuit High School is shutting doors to brace against the winter’s wrath.
Parents and students are left scrambling to adjust their weekday routines with administrators making critical decisions to prioritize safety amid dire winter warnings. A fluid situation demands regular checks for updates on districts' statuses, and news outlets are curating closure lists to keep the public informed. Interested parties can find such a compilation with further details on school closures and delays at the KPTV website.
