Kent School Closings Today — Live Status & Delays (Washington)

Are Kent schools closed today? Check live status below — updated every 10 minutes.

Live status monitored for Kent School District, Federal Way Public Schools, Auburn School District, Renton School District, and Tahoma School District.

How Kent school closures are announced

Kent School District (KSD) makes the call on closures and delays as early as possible on the morning of a storm — typically before 6 AM — so families have time to arrange childcare or adjust their commute. The decision applies across the whole district rather than school by school, since KSD’s roughly 72-square-mile service area spans low-lying Kent Valley neighborhoods as well as higher-elevation areas near the district’s eastern boundary, and the district weighs conditions across that whole footprint before deciding. Once a decision is made, KSD posts it on its official website at kent.k12.wa.us, places an automated phone call to the primary contact number on file for every enrolled family, and sends it out through its FlashAlert subscriber service for anyone who has signed up for text or email alerts.

The district also notifies Seattle-area television stations directly, so a closure or delay typically appears on local news and station websites within minutes of the district’s own announcement. This page checks KSD’s official status alongside King, Federal Way, Auburn, Renton, and Tahoma school district sources and Seattle-Tacoma TV listings automatically, so you don’t have to check each one individually — status refreshes every 15 minutes under normal conditions, or every 5 minutes during an active weather alert.

Weather risks that affect Kent-area school closures

• Snow and ice on hills: A light snowfall can leave the Kent Valley floor perfectly drivable while higher-elevation neighborhoods near the district’s eastern edge ice over, which is why the district’s closure calls sometimes look conservative for people who only see clear roads near home.
• Windstorms: Pacific windstorms moving in off Puget Sound can down trees and power lines across South King County, and a district may delay or close schools if bus routes or building power are affected, even without snow.
• Flooding: Portions of the Green River valley and low-lying roads in and around Kent are prone to localized flooding during heavy, sustained winter rain, which can affect bus routes even when schools themselves stay open.
• Wildfire smoke: Smoke drifting in from wildfires east of the Cascades or in British Columbia can push air quality into unhealthy ranges in late summer, occasionally prompting schools to move recess and athletics indoors or, in severe cases, close early.
• Dense fog: Morning fog in the Green River valley can reduce visibility enough to affect bus schedules, particularly in the fall and winter months.

Frequently asked questions

How early does Kent School District announce school closures?

Kent School District aims to announce closures and delays as early as possible on the morning of a storm, typically before 6 AM, through an automated phone call to every enrolled family, its FlashAlert subscriber service, its official website, and direct notification to local TV stations.

What’s the difference between a closure and a delayed start in KSD?

A closure means school is cancelled district-wide for the day. A delayed start means school opens later than the normal bell time — often by two hours — to give road crews and bus drivers more time as conditions improve, with students dismissed at the regular time. KSD sometimes also authorizes early dismissal if weather worsens during the school day.

Do all Kent-area schools close at the same time, or does it vary by school?

Kent School District generally makes one closure decision for the whole district rather than closing individual schools separately, since the decision covers shared bus routes and staffing across all its buildings. That said, the varied terrain across the district’s 72 square miles — from the Kent Valley floor to higher ground near its eastern boundary — is one of the main factors the district weighs before making that single, district-wide call.

Which Seattle-area TV stations report Kent school closings?

KING 5, KOMO 4, and KIRO 7 are the primary Seattle-Tacoma TV stations that report Kent and King County school closings. This page automatically checks all three alongside official district sources, so you get the fastest available update without visiting multiple sites.

How often is this page updated?

Status checks run automatically every 15 minutes under normal conditions, and every 5 minutes during an active weather alert, so you’re seeing a near-real-time picture rather than a once-a-day snapshot.

Why do some Kent-area schools stay open while nearby schools close?

Kent School District’s own service area is unusually varied in terrain — spanning the low Kent Valley up to higher ground near Covington and the district’s eastern edge — so it’s common for one part of South King County to have clear roads while another few miles away is icy. That’s also why this page tracks Kent alongside its immediate neighboring districts (Federal Way, Auburn, Renton, and Tahoma) rather than just one district in isolation: a storm that closes one district doesn’t necessarily close them all.

Kent School District (KSD) school roster

High Schools

• Kent-Meridian High School
• Kentlake High School
• Kentridge High School
• Kentwood High School

Middle Schools

• Canyon Ridge Middle School
• Cedar Heights Middle School
• Mattson Middle School
• Meeker Middle School
• Meridian Middle School
• Mill Creek Middle School
• Northwood Middle School

Academies & Programs

• Kent Laboratory Academy
• Kent Tech Academy
• Kent Virtual Academy

Elementary Schools

KSD operates 29 elementary schools district-wide. The 12 below are confirmed by name from official/NCES sources; see kent.k12.wa.us/page/schools for the complete list.

• Covington Elementary School
• East Hill Elementary School
• Glenridge Elementary
• Grass Lake Elementary School
• Horizon Elementary School
• Jenkins Creek Elementary School
• Kent Elementary School
• Lake Youngs Elementary School
• Martin Sortun Elementary School
• Meadow Ridge Elementary School
• Meridian Elementary School
• Sunrise Elementary School