BackToSchool

A collage of images showcasing students, staff, and activities at Chehalis School District, with the text 'Back to School Guidebook: Your Map to the Journey Ahead.'

Let's Get Ready for New School Year!

Welcome to the 2025-2026 Chehalis School District Back to School Guidebook, your roadmap to everything you will need for the journey ahead. Whether this is your first year with our district, or you are a seasoned veteran, you’ll find helpful information to help your family and your student get ready to start the next school year with confidence. If you find you have questions that are not answered somewhere on this guide, please feel free to drop a line to communications@chehalisschools.org and we will be happy to help you.

I Live Inside the Chehalis School District Boundaries

Returning Students – You do not need to re-register your returning student, even if they are moving to a new building in our district. Starting on July 21, we ask that all families complete Yearly Student Renewal forms found in the parent/guardian login on Skyward Family Access. These forms take just a few minutes to complete and allow us to verify:

That your student is returning for the next school year, which helps us better estimate our district population
That the contact information we have for your family is correct
That we are aware of any other important information about your family such as preferred language or siblings also attending Chehalis

New Students – Please complete your online enrollment forms as soon as you know you will be attending Chehalis Schools. CLICK HERE to register for the 2025-2026 school year.

I Live Outside the Chehalis School District Boundaries

Returning Students – Remember that your Choice Transfer request must be submitted and approved by the Chehalis School District every year for you to continue to attend Chehalis Schools. CLICK HERE to file your Choice paperwork for the 2025-2026 school year. Once you have completed Choice paperwork, Starting on July 21, we ask that all families complete Yearly Student Renewal forms found in the parent/guardian login on Skyward Family Access.

New Students – Any student who resides outside the Chehalis School District and wants to attend Chehalis Schools for the 2025-2026 school year needs to file a Choice Transfer request. We recommend filing this paperwork early because if the school year begins and your paperwork has not yet been processed, you will be required to attend your resident school district until you receive approval to attend Chehalis schools. CLICK HERE for more information about the Choice Transfer process and how to get started.

I’m Not Sure If I Live Inside Or Outside the Chehalis School District Boundaries

Call the district office at (360) 807-7200 and we can check your address for you.

The Chehalis School District Office is open on Summer Hours 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and closed to the public on Fridays through Aug. 8. If you do not reach someone, leave a detailed message with your name and address and we will return your call.

I Want To Know...

First Days of School for 2025-2026 are:
- Tuesday, Sept. 2 for Grades 4-12
- Wednesday, Sept. 3 for Grades 1-3
- Friday, Sept. 5 for Kindergarten
More important dates are available on the 2025-2026 District Calendar (English) or the District Calendar (Spanish)
Which School Does My Student Attend?
When Will My Office Be Open?
- W.F. West High School (grades 9-12) main office, counseling office and athletics office reopens to the public Aug. 1. Offices are open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. M-F
- Chehalis Middle School (grades 6-8) reopens to the public Aug. 20. Office is open 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. M-F and closed noon-1 p.m. for lunch
- Orin Smith Elementary School (grades 3-5) reopens to the public Aug. 25. Office is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. M-F
- James Lintott Elementary (grades K-2) reopens to the public Aug. 13. Office is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. M-F
- Chehalis School District Office will be open to the public 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Thursday and closed to the public Fridays through Aug. 8. Starting Aug. 11, it will be open to the public 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. M-F
What School Supplies Will My Student Need?

If you want to get a jump on school supply shopping, our lists for next year are already available.

CLICK HERE for W.F. West High School (grades 9-12)

CLICK HERE for Chehalis Middle School (grades 6-8)

CLICK HERE for Orin Smith Elementary (grades 3-5)

CLICK HERE for James Lintott Elementary (grades K-2)
How Much is School Lunch?

At James Lintott Elementary (grades K-2), Orin Smith Elementary (Grades 3-5) and Chehalis Middle School (grades 6-8) all students receive one meal free at breakfast and lunch. At W.F. West High School, students are responsible to pay for their meals. No matter where your student attends school, we want you to fill out the application forms if your family meets income requirements for free or reduced meal prices. That’s because being qualified for free or reduced meals can also help your family qualify for other assistance, such as HB1660, which can assist in fees for optional noncurricular extracurricular expenses.

Free & Reduced Lunch Applications

Free & Reduced Lunch applications for the 2025-2026 school year will be available Aug. 19. CLICK HERE to read more about school lunches and free and reduced lunch applications
Students in Grades 9-12:

The W.F. West Athletics Office, located in the main school office, will reopen to the public Aug. 1. The first day of practice for the fall 2025-2026 season is Aug. 20 for Football and Aug. 25 for all other sports.

View important information about W.F. West Athletics at THIS LINK

W.F. West High School sports schedules can be viewed at THIS LINK

Athletic participation requires a $45 per sport fee, participation in the football team requires a $50 annual fee plus $30 helmet fee. If your family qualified for free and reduced lunch during the 2024-2025 school year, you can ask for assistance paying your fall sports fees. CLICK HERE to read more about HB1660 in English or CLICK HERE to read more about HB1660 in English

Athletic paperwork must be completed and turned in and fees must be paid before the first day of practice or students will not be allowed to practice

Students in Grades 6-8:

View important informatio about Chehalis Middle School Athletics at THIS LINK

Chehalis Middle School sports schedules can be viewed at THIS LINK

Athletic participation requires a $25 annual ASB card fee, $30 fee per sport and $30 helmet fee for football. If your family qualified for free and reduced lunch during the 2024-2025 school year, you can ask for assistance paying your fall sports fees. CLICK HERE to read more about HB1660 in English or CLICK HERE to read more about HB1660 in Spanish.

Athletic paperwork must be completed and turned in and fees must be paid before the first day of practice or students will not be allowed to practice
The Chehalis School District will once again be on a two-tiered schedule for the 2025-2026 school year. This means that W.F. West High School (grades 9-12) and Chehalis Middle School (grades 6-8) begin and end an hour earlier than Orin Smith Elementary (grades 3-5) and James Lintott Elementary (grades K-2).

We will also be having 90-minute early release most Wednesdays for Professional Academic Work for Success time.

If your family has need of before- or after-school care for your student or care for your student after early release for PAWS, check out THIS LINK with information about offerings from our community partners.
Check Out If You Need a Check Up

There are many reasons why your student may need to visit your family doctor before the start of the school year. Physical forms for our student athletes need to be renewed every year. There are also immunizations due for students at certain ages. CLICK HERE for school related health information from our nurse’s office.
Log In to ParentSquare & Skyward So You Don’t Miss Out

Skyward is our student information system while ParentSquare is our district’s primary form of communication with families.

On Skyward you can check your student’s grades, attendance and progress toward graduation requirements. You can also sign up to receive progress reports for your student and alerts for their grades or school lunch account.

On ParentSquare, you can send and receive messages.

All families of active students with a Skyward account automatically receive ParentSquare messages but registering your account allows you to customize your preferred language and message delivery options. CLICK HERE to read more about ParentSquare & Skyward and to get started.
We are so grateful for our many volunteers, both parents and community members, who help out at our schools. Before volunteering anywhere in the Chehalis School District, you are required to fill out a form, which includes a background check, and be cleared by the district office. Volunteers need to renew their clearance every two years. For more information about how to apply to become a volunteer, go to THIS LINK.

Points of Interest For the Journey Ahead

Every step of a student’s journey in the Chehalis School District is an important one. But in every journey, there are a few landmarks that are more notable than others. Follow the links below to access helpful information to help you and your student navigate some of the points in their journey where they may need a few extra compass points to keep you on the correct path.

Kindergarten – Start the Journey Off Right

A young girl smiles brightly while holding a sign that reads 'First day of kindergarten 2024-2025'.