Family Information Guide
The 2026-2027 Calendar was approved at the November 12, 2025, Regular Board meeting of the White River School District Board of Directors. Please note that it is subject to change.
There is no late start Monday - on the first Monday of the school year, August 31, 2026. We will be following the regular Tuesday through Friday scheduled start times.
White River Early Learning Center: 360-829-5830
Elk Ridge Elementary: 360-829-3354
Foothills Elementary: 360-829-3355
Mountain Meadow Elementary: 360-829-3356
Wilkeson Elementary: 360-829-3357
Glacier Middle School: 360-829-3395
White River High School: 360-829-3352
Early Learning Center
Start Time: 9:00 am
End Time: 3:25 pm
Monday Late Start: 10:00 am
Early Dismissal: 11:55 am
Elementary (Elk Ridge, Foothills, Mountain Meadow, Wilkeson)
Start Time: 9:00 am
End Time: 3:25 pm
Monday Late Start: 10:00 am
Early Dismissal: 11:55 am
Glacier Middle School
Start Time: 7:55 am
End Time: 2:30 pm
Monday Late Start: 8:55 am
Early Dismissal: 10:55 am
White River High School
Start Time: 7:35 am
End Time: 2:05 pm
Monday Late Start: 8:35 am
Early Dismissal: 10:35 am
ParentSquare
ParentSquare is our new communication platform and will be used to share important information from the district, your child's school, teachers, and coaches.
ParentSquare includes many of the communication features you are familiar with from Remind, along with additional tools designed to strengthen the partnership between home and school.
Here are a few important things to know:
- No action is required to continue receiving district and school communications. If you have previously provided an email address to your child's school, you will automatically continue receiving communications through ParentSquare using that email address.
- To enable two-way communication, including the ability to message your child's teacher or school, we strongly encourage you to register for a ParentSquare account using the email address or phone number you have previously provided to the school.
- You can register by visiting parentsquare.com/signin or by downloading the ParentSquare app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. While downloading the app is not required to receive messages, it provides the easiest and most convenient way to stay connected.
- Once you have registered, you can personalize your account settings, including your preferred language and how you would like to receive notifications (email, text message, or app notifications).
- ParentSquare also allows you to communicate directly with your child's teacher(s) and school through secure messaging.
For students in grades 6–12, ParentSquare offers a companion platform called StudentSquare. Students can use StudentSquare to communicate with their teachers when needed. To register, students must use their White River School District email account.
Attendance is a critical building block for student learning. We encourage students to be at school on time EVERY day. Being at school on time is important for learning, building friendships, and participating in the school community. Moreover, being late can negatively impact academic performance because it causes students to miss essential initial instructions, to include important announcements, guidelines, and the critical learning phase at the beginning of class.
An unexcused absence occurs when a student misses school and the parent or guardian has not notified the school about the reason for the absence. An excused absence happens when a student is away from school and you inform the office.
The key takeaway here is that we are here to assist! Please reach out to to your school if there is anything we should know regarding your child's absences. More detailed information regarding attendance policies can be found in student handbooks.
The decision to close schools is both simple at times and incredibly difficult at times. We want our students in school and learning, but there are times when student and staff safety is the paramount consideration. We encourage you to take a few minutes to learn about our process for assessing school delays and closures, as well as how you can stay informed about these updates
Our goal is to make a final decision by 5:30 a.m. so that parents, students, and staff have time to navigate the impact of these decisions. We do not make announcements if schools are open and operating on a normal schedule.
How are parents & staff notified when school is delayed or canceled?
Information is sent by telephone and email using our automated messenger system and posted to Flash Alert, the District's Website, Individual School Websites, and the District's Facebook page. We encourage parents to:
- Log in to Family Access and make sure all contact information and communication preferences are up to date
- Check email and make sure phone is on when severe weather is in the forecast
- Sign up for Flash Alert to get emergency alerts
- Bookmark the District's and/or your school's website
- Follow us on Facebook
For more detailed information, please visit our Inclement Weather page on our website.
Breakfast and lunch at school offer all kids a convenient, economical, and healthy alternative for their school-day nutrition. When your kids join us for breakfast and lunch, you can rest assured that they’re eating nutritious meals – and your family may qualify for meal benefits as well.
Meal Pricing
Kindergarten to 5th Grade
Breakfast: $2.50
Lunch $3.75
6th-12th Grade
Breakfast $2.75
Lunch $4.00
All student riders must be assigned a bus route. If you wish for your student to be assigned a bus route, you must mark transportation during the registration process in Skyward. Contact the school if assistance is needed in setting up transportation. It may take 3-5 days for your student to be assigned a route. Route numbers and bus numbers are now the same.
REMINDERS
- Be at the bus stop 5 minutes prior to the scheduled stop time.
- Please be patient with us the first few days of school, the buses may run late as we are learning new faces and the places they belong.
- Most Mondays are 1-hour late start. Check with your school for exact dates that are not late start
If you have a bus stop safety concern and would like to request a change, please fill out a Bus Stop Change Request Form.
Contact Information: 360-829-3361
Please visit out our Transportation FAQ page for more information.
BusRight
- Track their child's school bus in real time.
- View estimated arrival times at their student's bus stop.
- Receive notifications when the bus begins and completes its route.
- Receive important updates and communications directly from our Transportation Department.
In addition to providing families with real-time information, BusRight also improves student accountability by utilizing a Student Pass Card. Students will scan their assigned card each time they board and exit a school bus, whether traveling to and from school, on field trips, or for extracurricular activities. This allows the district to better monitor student transportation while providing families with increased visibility into when their child has boarded or exited the bus.
Please visit our BusRight page for more information.
We are committed to the safety of our students, employees & community. Our comprehensive emergency response plans and safety drills are designed to empower our staff to respond effectively to emergencies, incidents, and security risks. We work closely with local emergency responders to improve our response systems. Our commitment to safety helps us create a secure learning environment for all.
Communication Tips in an Emergency
- Be patient – we will communicate with you as quickly as possible.
- Check the Website or Facebook page
- All adults who are picking up children should remember to always bring photo identification.
- Keep emergency contact information up-to-date with the correct phone numbers and names of people authorized to pick up your children.
For more detailed information, please visit our Emergency Management page.
Our team of RN's, LPN's and other trained health clerks work together to promote and support the health of our students, ensuring they get the most out of their education.
If your student has any health concerns or if you have any questions, please contact the nurse at your student's school. In case of emergencies, it is important to have current phone numbers. Please make sure to notify the office when emergency contact numbers change.
When to Keep Your Child at Home?
We follow the guidance of our local health authority, Tacoma Pierce County Health Department. Here are some tips on how to tell if your student is too sick for school.
- A temperature of 100.4° or above
- Vomiting within the last 24 hours
- Diarrhea within the last 24 hours
Chromebooks are checked out to every 1st-12th grade student through the school library system. Your child is expected to care for the Chromebook as they would a library book. It should be handled gently and with care, kept on a counter or table, kept away from babies and toddlers, and away from water or other liquids. A Device Protection Plan (DPP) can be purchased for students in grades 6-12th who take it to and from school daily.
Please visit our Chromebook Information page for additional information to include:
- Device Protection Plan
- Home Internet & Wifi Hotspots
- Chromebook & Log In Help
- Curfew Hours & Weekly Internet Use Reports
- User Guides for Chromebooks and Google Classroom
Volunteers play a crucial role as members of the educational team within the White River School District. Engaging in volunteer work at a school is a distinctive and rewarding opportunity that benefits not only the students but also their schools and the wider community. Are you interested in volunteering?
To start volunteering with the school district, please complete an Online Volunteer Application form. Click on the link button below for the steps on how to complete the application.
Approved applications are good for two years, so if you filled one out before, it might be time to renew!