After several days of closures due to widespread power outages caused by a severe windstorm, the Kent School District announced that all schools and its administrative campus will reopen Monday, Nov. 25, 2024.
Schools and buses will operate on regular schedules, with buses running normal routes at their usual pick-up times.
The district had most recently closed all schools on Friday, Nov. 22, as crews worked to restore power and address safety concerns. At the height of the storm’s aftermath, 17 schools were without power, and three others had unsafe conditions due to infrastructure damage. The outages were part of a larger regional impact that left tens of thousands of residents in Western Washington without power.
Puget Sound Energy (PSE) crews have been working around the clock to restore electricity. As of Sunday, power has been restored to all affected Kent School District facilities, allowing the district to resume operations.
The “bomb cyclone” windstorm, which struck the region last Tuesday, caused significant disruptions across King County, toppling trees and power lines. PSE described the storm’s impact on the power grid as comparable to a hurricane, with substantial damage to high-voltage transmission systems.
District officials expressed gratitude to the community for their patience and understanding during the closures and encouraged families to monitor the district’s website for any further updates.
