Education

Gwinnett schools: How do they decide to close for bad weather?

Minute by minute and day by day, some school districts in metro Atlanta are clawing back instructional time lost to unusually severe winter weather this year. Gwinnett County, Georgia’s largest district, had already altered its calendar last month to make up the three days lost to an Arctic chill in early January and a snowstorm later that month. Now, in response to another round of snow that shuttered school for four days this month, the district has announced it will lengthen 48 school days by half an hour, from Monday through mid-May. FULL ARTICLE HERE | GET SCHOOLED BLOG: Should schools cancel spring break to make up snow days? I vote 'yes.' | More Atlanta area school headlines

Minute by minute and day by day, some school districts in metro Atlanta are clawing back instructional time lost to unusually severe winter weather this year. Gwinnett County, Georgia’s largest district, had already altered its calendar last month to make up the three days lost to an Arctic chill in early January and a snowstorm later that month. Now, in response to another round of snow that shuttered school for four days this month, the district has announced it will lengthen 48 school days by half an hour, from Monday through mid-May. FULL ARTICLE HERE | GET SCHOOLED BLOG: Should schools cancel spring break to make up snow days? I vote 'yes.' | More Atlanta area school headlines

By Vanessa McCray

Dec 8, 2017

UPDATE at 12:15 p.m.: Gwinnett schools has announced an early dismissal for Friday. See details here.

With the season's first snow possible on Friday, parents and students are keeping a close eye on school plans.

Gwinnett County Public Schools’ superintendent is in charge of making the decision to close school. That call is made in consultation with public safety, county, emergency management, and state transportation officials.

The school district follows a list of producedures when inclement weather is expected, including having operations and facilities team members hit the roads as early as 3:30 a.m. to inspect conditions.

Gwinnett’s procedure states the school district is more likely to cancel school “in the early morning” and that “full-day cancellations usually are announced by 6 a.m.” Cancellations and early dismissals will be announced on the district’s website, social media pages, and media, including AJC.com.

LEARN MORE: PREPARING FOR WINTER WEATHER

About the Author

As the higher education reporter, Vanessa McCray writes about Georgia's colleges and universities.

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