Winter Weather
McKenzie Families,

You will see that the forecast has started to shift and the possibility of winter weather is here. The most important aspect of the decision to delay or close school is the safety of our students and staff.

Bus drivers and transportation personnel drive the bus routes to determine safety whenever there is a weather problem. They then make a recommendation to the superintendent.

There will be a decision made by 6:00 AM whether to operate, delay the start, or close the school. This is a difficult decision because the information we get in the early morning may be incomplete. The weather and road conditions vary along the valley corridor, often changing rapidly before school. Road conditions can worsen with traffic or improve with warming temperatures and sanding. We do the best we can with limited information.

We will send out a message through the automated calling system, alert local businesses, and have recorded messages on both the elementary and high school message machines.  

Elementary: 541-822-3315
High School: 541-822-3313

Please watch or listen to the following stations, which are supposed to carry our information:

KLCC 89.7 FM
KRVM 1280 AM / 91.9 FM
KKNU 93.1 FM
LNRQ 96.1 FM
KUGN 590 AM
KPNW 1120 AM / 104.7 FM
KMGE 94.5 FM
KVAL TV
KEZI TV
KMTR TV

Delayed Start

When weather conditions are expected to improve later in the morning, we will begin announcing at 6:00 AM that school will operate on a TWO-HOUR DELAYED START. If conditions fail to improve, a decision to close the school will be announced to the media by 8:30 AM. Buses arrive at stops exactly 2 hours later than a normal morning. 

On a DELAYED START, the staff will report to school by 9:30 AM, and the students will report by 10:00 AM. The cafeteria will serve breakfast and lunch, but the menu may be changed to something prepared more quickly.  


Snow Routes

School Clubs, including sports, will not meet on days with snow routes, nor will the activity bus run.

When snow is abundant, whether delayed or not, we may choose to use our snow routes. You will be informed of this the same way you are informed of delays and closures.

Our buses are equipped with chains, but windy side roads and slick road conditions require caution. During snow routes, the following roads will be closed to bus traffic: Hwy 242, Horse Creek Road, Taylor Road, North Bank Road, McKenzie River Drive, King Rd, Blue River Reservoir Road, Marbrook Lane, Gate Creek Road, Goodpasture Road and Leaburg Dam. Please choose the pick-up location that works the best for your family (see times/specifics below): Downriver (from the school) buses-Vida Café or Everyone’s Market. Upriver (from the school) bus-Blue River @ city bus stop, Blue Sky Market, or McKenzie Bridge General Store. 

In the morning, buses will make regular stops along Highway 126 and stop at McKenzie Bridge General Store at approximately 6:50 am, Blue Sky Market at approximately 7:20 am, Vida Café at 7:05 am, and Everyone’s Market at approximately 7:25 am to meet students. 
-In the afternoon, the drop-off times (same stop options as the AM Snow Route): Vida Café at approximately 4:25 pm, Everyone’s Market (Ernie’s at approximately 4:40 pm, Blue Sky Market at approximately 4:20 pm, McKenzie Bridge General Store at approximately 4:30 pm.

Power Outage

We highly recommend that you have a battery-operated radio available so when the power is out, you can still access the news. The school district phones are not operable when there is a power outage. We will alert the news media in the case of delay or closure because of a power outage, the same as with weather.

Playing in the snow at school: Please remember to dress your child warmly on cold days. Hats, gloves, and boots are required for students who want to play outside at recess, the more waterproof, the better. Also, it never hurts to have an extra change of clothes in their backpack at this time of the year. Here are some tips from TapGenes.com on ways to keep your student(s) warm this winter.

We are dedicated to the safety of our students and staff. We will make any decision regarding school with their safety uppermost in our decision making. Please turn on your computer, radio, TV and/or device to get the latest information regarding delay or closure.

Thank you!
Mr. Tompkins
Head to our website for up-to-date closure info!!

Flash Alert Newswire


You can sign up for email notifications about McKenzie Schools from

We will also be posting closure and delay information on our Facebook Page.
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Health Guidelines
We will continue to align ourselves with The Ready Schools, Safe Learners Resiliency Framework. We will be following those guidelines. Our priority is to safely bring students back to school full-time and keep schools open and kids in classrooms throughout the school year.

Vaccinations: Vaccinations are proving to be the best defense against COVID-19. We will continue to work with Lane County Public Health to make vaccinations available to eligible populations in our community by hosting vaccination clinics. Everyone age 12 and over is eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19 now. Authorization of vaccines for youth under 12 is expected this fall or winter. Lane County Public Health will be hosting a vaccination clinic for eligible students at our Welcome Back BBQ Friday, September 17th. As you know, Gov. Kate Brown recently announced that Oregon would require all public and private school teachers, staff and volunteers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Oregon school staff will need to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination by Oct.18. Exceptions may be made for eligible medical or religious reasons. 

Face Coverings: We will follow Oregon Health Authority’s statewide rule (OAR 333-019-1015) requiring face coverings in all indoor school settings, both public and private, for all individuals two years and older, including all students, staff, contractors, volunteers and visitors. This rule is in response to the sharp uptick in the spread of COVID-19 in Oregon and the emergence of the highly transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19. Face coverings will also be mandatory on district buses due to CDC requirements for public transportation. 

Physical Distancing: Reflecting the guidance, we will continue to support and promote physical distancing of students and staff. We will continue to distance in classrooms, the playground and during transitions when students are standing in line. Floor markings will remain a fixture of McKenzie’s spaces.

Cohorts: Students will continue to be tracked and placed into stable cohorts to the greatest extent possible, especially in our younger grades who cannot benefit from vaccinations. Cohorting helps reduce the number of people exposed and helps identify those who may have been exposed in case of an identified COVID-19 case in the school.

Entry Screening, Isolation and Testing: Students will continue to be screened for illness when arriving at school each day. Preventing ill students from coming to school helps prevent the spread of many illnesses beyond COVID. Students who show sickness symptoms during screening or during the day will be referred to our isolation room in the elementary office. Parents will be notified to pick up their student. We will continue to provide COVID-19 rapid tests this year to ill students with parental consent. The District is required to exclude students who demonstrate primary symptoms of COVID-19 as we were last year.

Hand Hygiene: Regular hand washing and the use of hand sanitizer will continue to be emphasized throughout the school year. Practicing safe hygiene helps prevent the spread of COVID and other illnesses we regularly encounter at school.

Increased Sanitation: McKenzie’s custodial staff will continue focusing on increased sanitation efforts throughout the buildings, playgrounds and other common areas. 

Air Purifiers: Thanks to a generous donation by BlueAir last year, McKenzie’s classrooms will continue to have HEPA filters in place during the year. This filtration can help ensure cleaner air for students and staff.

Increased Airflow: Buildings will continue to be opened up as much as possible, including doors and windows to get more fresh outdoor air circulated into classrooms.

Training: Regular training for staff regarding health and safety protocols will occur at the beginning of the year and regularly during the remainder of the school year.

Visitor Policy: Visitors must wear face coverings and check-in at the office for health screening. Visitors will not be allowed in the building past the office. 

Quarantining and contact tracing: If we have a confirmed case of COVID at school, we will work directly with our district and Lane County Public Health to communicate with families. If students must quarantine, they will have access to class materials and assignments. 

Athletics COVID & Wildfire Smoke Protocols: McKenzie athletic teams will continue to follow OSAA recommended protocols during the season. Coaches and Administrators will regularly monitor air quality both indoors and outdoors to ensure safety from wildfire smoke exposure.

Weekly COVID Screenings: We will be offering weekly covid screening testing for interested families. More information to come soon. 
Safety Tips for Households
Here are 5 helpful tips from the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) for safety as we head back to school.

  1. Make a plan to vaccinate all eligible household members. As school starts, help protect your child and their classmates, including those too young to get vaccinated, by making sure to vaccinate all eligible household members.
  2. Wear face coverings or masks in public and carpools. Face coverings effectively prevent the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the need to be quarantined and miss in-person learning.
  3. Limit gatherings with other households for now, including big events for kids, like birthday parties. If your kids have an early fall birthday, celebrate with just your household. You might consider postponing larger celebrations until the Delta variant’s rapid spread has subsided (plan a half-birthday bash!).
  4. Move social activities outdoors. To help minimize kids’ exposure to COVID-19, try to plan outdoor activities when possible, especially with other households.
  5. Make a plan if your child is going to need to miss class. Being prepared can make this difficult time easier and will help your child transition to and from the classroom.