Fulton County Schools were among the first metro Atlanta school system to delay the start of school for Tuesday. Eventually every metro Atlanta school district above Interstate 20 made the same announcement. And by 5 p.m. districts further south joined in.
“Out of an abundance of caution, all schools and central offices within the Fulton County School System will open on a two-hour delay tomorrow, Dec. 11, in alignment with Governor Deal's announcement that state offices will open late. The National Weather Service has warned that several metro Atlanta counties may have black ice on roads as temperatures drop below freezing early morning,” said spokeswoman Cierra Chuly Boyd in a written statement.
Buses will operate on a two-hour delay, meaning that if a bus normally arrives at the bus stop at 6:45 a.m., it will arrive at 8:45 a.m. Although there is a two-hour start delay, the school day will end at its normal time. Employees should arrive to work no later than two hours from their scheduled start time.
DeKalb, Gwinnett, Forsyth, Clayton, Cobb and Cherokee County schools soon followed suit with a two-hour delayed start.
“In an effort to help parents and staff plan for tomorrow morning's work and school schedule as early as possible, the Cobb County School District has delayed the start of school by two hours Tuesday,” said Cobb spokeswoman NanKiel.
“We will continue to monitor conditions and reports from the National Weather Service throughout the evening."
Forsyth added:
- Buses will run, but pickups will be two-hours later.
- Before school activities/athletics are canceled for Tuesday morning.
- Breakfast will not be served, but lunch will be served.
- Schools will end/release at the normally scheduled time.
- All employees should report two-hours later from their normal start times.
“Specific school-related questions should be directed to the school administration,” said Forsyth County spokeswoman Jennifer Caracciolo.
Several instutions of higher education have made similar decisions.
Georgia State University, the largest university in the state, will delay the start of classes until 10 a.m.
All campuses of Chattahoochee Technical College will also delay opening until 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
Georgia Tech campuses above Interstate 20 will delay opening until 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
“Anyone limited by the impact of the weather should reach out immediately to instructors and/or supervisors to make alternate arrangements. When traveling, please exercise caution. Slow down and allow extra time to reach your destination,” said spokeswoman Laura Diamond in a written statement.
The wintry weather will have a slight impact on Kennesaw State University graduations.
Regular campus operations, including final exams, will continue today, said spokesman Paul Floeckher.
• The first graduation ceremony Tuesday now will be held at 11 a.m.
• The doors at the Convocation Center will open at 10 a.m.
• Students who plan to participate in the graduation ceremony should report to the Siegel Recreation Center at 10 a.m.
• Neither the 3 p.m. nor 7 p.m. ceremony will be delayed due to the 11 a.m. start for the first ceremony.
• Buses will continue on schedule for today and start running at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
• Essential employees, including those that support graduation, should contact their supervisor for additional information.
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