Lahar exercise: April 23

All Sumner-Bonney Lake schools will participate in a regional lahar exercise on April 23. The drill is only for schools, not the general public or surrounding residences.

The lahar exercise will begin between 9 and 9:30 am on April 23. All schools will participate by either evacuating or sheltering in place, depending on their location in the valley or on the hill.

Evacuation (valley schools in Sumner)

Schools in the Sumner valley will evacuate their school buildings and follow a designated evacuation route to the Gordon Family YMCA. Buses will transport students back to their school where they’ll complete the remainder of their school day as normal. Childcare/preschool students will evacuate their school building, but will remain on campus to practice staging.

Families of students attending valley schools have the ability to opt their child out of the evacuation drill (Spanish | Russian | Ukrainian). Opt-out forms are due to your child’s school by April 17.

To see a lahar evacuation exercise in action, watch this video from our district’s drill in 2022.

Shelter in place (hill schools in Bonney Lake)

Schools on the hill in Bonney Lake will shelter in place by remaining at school inside their classroom. Teachers have the option to deliver lahar-related lessons and activities, sharing more about lahars and what to expect should we experience one. This includes students in the childcare/preschool programs.

SBLSD has worked closely with the Sumner Police and Public Works departments to coordinate this exercise to ensure the utmost safety of everyone involved. We value our strong partnerships with law enforcement and emergency management agencies in preparedness activities all year long.

Please watch for more information from your child’s school with details about the lahar exercise as it pertains to the school’s participation. Learn more at sumnersd.org/lahar.