Inclement Weather Protocol

Parents / Inclement Weather Protocol

With inclement weather being a real possibility for much of the year here in Portland and with the safety of your daughters paramount in any decision we make, please read below the information about how school closures are decided.

On particularly bad weather days, including those with the threat of snow or ice, Principal Nicole Foran will make the decision about delay or closure by 6 a.m., taking the following into consideration:

• The large, diverse geographic area where our families live,

• the number of SMA student drivers on the road,

• what other school systems might be doing, knowing that many SMA families have children attending different institutions.

In addition, please note that we do NOT follow Portland Public School closures, although St. Mary’s and PPS often make similar decisions on days with inclement weather.

Additionally, the following are important to keep in mind on bad weather days:

  • As always, please make the best decision for your daughter’s travel based on your location and circumstances. If she normally drives to school, consider having her take public transportation.
  •  In case of school closure, notifications are first put on the front page of our website, then Facebook and the FlashAlert system which is used by local radio and TV stations.
  • Speaking of FlashAlert, please be sure you and your daughter are subscribed to the system and that your contact information on FlashAlert is current. We also encourage you to download the free FlashAlert Messenger app, which uses push notifications to inform you instantaneously. If you need assistance with FlashAlert, please e-mail our Tech Help team at tech.help@smapdx.org or call 971-256-9994 and someone will return your call during school hours.
  • In case of school closure, all activities and athletic events will be rescheduled.