Inclement weather, hazardous road conditions, school facility problems or other emergencies can always cause school delays or closures. The decision to close schools is made by the Superintendent or his authorized representative.

Inclement Weather Procedures & Alerts

The determination to delay the start of, or close schools is made very early in the morning. The target is to make the decision no later than 5:30 a.m. Once the decision is made there are FOUR different types of communication that occur.

The announcement is posted on our website www.crschools.org.

On mornings with school delays, you can expect a telephone call to main number we have for your family in Skyward. Please make sure your phone number is current by contacting your school secretary. An automated telephone call is set up to ring the primary telephones we have listed in our student database. These automated calls go out between 6:30 and 7:00 am.

For accurate, up to the minute information on the latest school closures, go to the Flash Alert website.

The announcement is set up through the regional “FlashAlert” system. Castle Rock School District uses FlashAlert, an Internet-based system for delivering changes in schedule to the news media. Message delivery has been extended directly to the public through FlashAlert Messenger. You may self-register and manage up to three home or office email and/or cell phone text message addresses – and your Twitter address, too – and receive emergency information just minutes after we post it, at no cost to you.

To get started, go to FlashAlert.net and click on our region on the map. Choose our organization category and then our name. You start the subscription process by filling in your email address.

You may enter one or two more email or cell text addresses. After entering them, you will launch a validation message to each address. You must obtain the two-letter code in the message and post it back into your account to validate that address. This is done to make sure that your messages will reach you.

School closure and delay information also will be given to the following radio and television stations:

These broadcasts will be on Longview stations KLOG 1490 am, KLYK 94.5 fm, KZOE 90.3 fm, KBAM 1270 am, KEDO 1400 am, KUKN 105.5 fm, KRQT 107.1 fm and KZNX 89.7 fm. In addition, the announcements will be made on Centralia stations KCED 91.3 fm, KELA 1470 am, KMNT 102.9 fm, KITI 1420 am and KITI 95.1 fm, and Olympia station KXXO 96.1 fm. We will also contact the following television stations: KLTV (11) in Longview; KATV (2), KOIN (6) and KGW (8) in Portland; and KCPQ (13), KOMO (4), KING (5), and KIRO (7) in Seattle.

Snow During School Hours

In the event of snowfall during school hours that necessitates closure of Castle Rock schools, the following procedures will be followed until the buses arrive to take students home and all remaining students are safely released:

Elementary students:

  • Students will remain at school until it is safe to use normal means of getting home or until they are picked up by a parent/designee.
  • Students will be released to parents or designee only.
  • The principal or designee and/or assigned staff will stay with remaining students until they are all safely released.

Secondary students:

  • Students choosing to walk home should stay in a group and to observe the rules of safety.
  • Students driving home should use good judgment and to observe the rules of safety.
  • The principal or designee and/or assigned staff will stay with remaining students until all are safely released.

Snow Routes

In the event of snow or ice making bus transportation hazardous, Castle Rock Schools may use one of three options to avoid total school closure.

Two Hour Late Start

Students will be picked up at their regular stop two hours later than usual.

Snow Routes & Late Start

Students will be picked up using snow routes two hours later than usual.

Snow Routes & Regular Start

Start school at regular time and use snow routes as needed. Only some routes may be on snow routes.