Kent schools were closed for the third consecutive day on Wednesday, Feb. 5 due to continuing icy conditions.

“After surveying the district’s diverse terrain, many of the roads, side roads, neighborhoods, parking lots, sidewalks and walking routes are not safe for our kids, families and staff,” according to a Feb. 5 Kent School District statement. “Our facilities and maintenance teams worked hard to clear parking lots and sidewalks yesterday (Feb. 4) and with the sunshine, the snow and ice melted. With freezing temperatures and additional precipitation last night, surfaces froze again and created hazardous conditions.”

Because of the Wednesday early release schedule, district officials said they were unable to implement a two-hour late start as it would conflict with the transportation system and the need to run buses on multiple routes for both elementary and secondary schools.

The administration campus also is closed. School athletics will be determined and communicated by athletic directors. Community use of district facilities is canceled.

The district also canceled classes on Monday, Feb. 3 and Tuesday, Feb. 4 due to the recent snowfall and freezing overnight temperatures.