Emergency Information

In the rare instance that students are transported to an off-site location due to an emergency, families will be notified of where and when to pick up your child. We will notify you using our emergency communication systems and the contact information you have previously provided to the school.

Each valley school is assigned to sheltering and managing student-parent relocation. Families should report as soon as practicable to the reunification site. Upon arriving parent/guardians will be guided through the reunification process by school and district staff, and depending on the situation, emergency response personnel.

It is important that families make plans to reunite with their children at the site, not at their attendance school, so that the schools can evacuate quickly and safely.  

Here is information about what to expect when picking up your student at a reunification site: 

• You will be asked to show photo ID

• Have patience and follow all directions by school staff 

• If you are unable to retrieve your child, the school can only release your student to someone who is on the emergency contact list you submitted to the school, or for grades 7-12 only someone they feel comfortable leaving with as authorized by the guardian and submitted to the school on the district enrollment form.

Living near Mount Rainier has potential hazards that include eruption, lava or ash fall and mudflows known as lahars.

City of Puyallup Emergency Management, Pierce County Emergency Management, the U.S. Geologic Survey and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have joined together to create a plan for responding to any Mount Rainier emergency that may occur.

The Puyallup School District has been an active partner in planning and preparing for the evacuation of schools located in the valley in the event a lahar evacuation was necessary.  

What is the district response plan for a volcanic eruption or lahar?  

In conjunction with regional Emergency Management Services, the District will receive immediate notification of volcanic activity at Mt. Rainier. Each school will be contacted so that emergency support and response by students and staff can be initiated. In Puyallup, emergency sirens will sound throughout the community to alert all residents to the hazard.

All valley schools will immediately evacuate. It is anticipated that the county will receive advance indications of increased volcanic activity at the mountain and that the valley schools may already be operating in alternative modes prior to any eruption or lahar flow. 

What is the lahar evacuation plan?

The current plan includes a provision for evacuating students from valley schools via pedestrian routes. The plan was developed in coordination with law enforcement agencies as a part of the larger county emergency response. The county plan includes diverting vehicle traffic and restricting traffic flow to northbound routes and either east- or westbound traffic. These traffic restrictions will prevent the public from driving into the mudflow as well as limiting the district’s ability to provide bus transportation to students in the valley.  

How much time is there to evacuate?  

Experts predict that the valley floor will fill to a depth of thirty feet with mud and debris. It is estimated that there is approximately (after the lahar alert) 60-90 minutes for safe evacuation from the valley.  

Where will students and staff shelter?

Each valley school is assigned to a designated district school or support location for sheltering and managing student-parent relocation. Families should report as soon as practicable to the student-parent reunification location. It is important that families make plans to reunite with their children at the relocation schools, not at their attendance school, so that the schools can evacuate quickly and safely.