District Information on Air Quality:
Wildfires in Central Oregon and other areas may be impacting air quality today.
- We are monitoring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Air Quality Index (AQI) – 8th and Emerson station in Bend.
- For regional fire information, visit the Central Oregon Fire Info website. Fire information is available in English and Spanish.
Please remember that children are particularly sensitive to smoke because their respiratory systems are still developing.
Parents: Watch the smoke forecast and decide when to limit your child(ren)’s activities. If you do not wish for your child to spend time outdoors, please consider if the activity or program is the right choice for your family this week.
District Policy:
District staff monitor the air quality index (AQI) on an ongoing basis using Oregon Air DEQ, and will make the following modifications to outdoor programs that cannot be relocated indoors:
- AQI 100-150: Outdoor activities may be modified including decreased intensity and duration with more frequent breaks.
- AQI 151-200: Outdoor activities will be modified if they cannot be moved indoors (see below for details).
- AQI 201 or more: All outdoor activities may be canceled and outdoor recreation facilities closed.
- If you or your child are sensitive to air pollution or smoke or have asthma, let us know so we can help modify the activity, and when in doubt do not participate.
Air quality conditions can change rapidly and we will do our best keep you informed of program status. We will normally notify you via email 1-2 hours prior to the start of the activity if it is delayed or canceled due to smoke. We will also post delays and cancellations on our website. In the event that an activity already in progress is canceled due to poor air quality, we will contact you to pick up your child within 1 hour.
Additional resources:
Oregon Health Authority: