Fulton school closings: How is the decision made?
From time to time, emergencies like snow or ice will prompt Fulton County Schools to shut down operations and cancel classes.
Here's information to help better understand how the decision to close is made:
The superintendent has the final say in school closings and bases a decision on recommendations from staff and the following factors:
- Road conditions
- Time of weather's arrival
- Weather forecasts
- Building and parking lot conditions
- Temperature and wind-chill
- Probability of buses being able to transport students
Scheduled meetings take place beginning at 4:30 p.m. the day before expected weather is to arrive. The Fulton County Schools Transportation Department makes contact with various safety organizations to get initial information about weather conditions and the possible effects on roads and schools. A final decision to close schools is made no later than 6 a.m. the following day.
Radio and television stations get contacted by the Fulton County Schools Communications Department as soon as the superintendent makes a decision. The information is then posted to the school system's website, Twitter, which you can follow at @FultonCountySchools, and on the school Facebook account. Individual school's Facebook and Twitter accounts can provide more specific information.
WSB radio at 750 on the AM dial also broadcast lists of closings.
You can find information about Fulton County schools, such as test scores, graduation rates, and school climate ratings at the Ultimate Atlanta School Guide.
About the Authors
Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.
