Atlanta Public Schools, Gwinnett County, Fulton County, DeKalb County, Cobb County, Clayton County, Marietta City Schools and Henry County Schools are among the area districts to announce they will be closed Thursday because of concerns that ice and cold temperatures will persist.
Also closed Thursday are City Schools of Decatur, Fayette County Public Schools, Paulding County Schools, Cherokee County School District, Carroll County Schools and Carrollton City Schools, which announced a make-up day on Feb. 19.
In Gwinnett County, students are to access online lesson plans and use the day as a digital learning day, the second one this week.
Fulton County Schools said it will announce a plan next week for how it will make up lost school days. The district, in a statement, said the strategy “will be a combination of traditional and innovative methods.”
Fulton’s school board also cancelled a Thursday board meeting. The district said weather forecasts show that temperatures will remain cold through Thursday “leaving little opportunity for existing snow or ice to melt and provide safe travel conditions.”
Clayton County Public Schools superintendent Morcease Beasley said in a written statement: “During the day away from school, we encourage our students to engage in learning by accessing available online resources and other supportive material.”
The Decatur school board will discuss plans regarding make-up days at its Jan. 23 meeting, the district announced.
The Cherokee County Board of Education will meet Thursday at 5:30 p.m. instead of 7 p.m., the district announced.
APS superintendent Meria Carstarphen cited "extreme cold" temperatures and "icy road conditions" that will persist into Thursday. She posted the update at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.
“Please know I don't want to but roads will still be icy & staff live all over metro area / not safe. I need help from Mother Nature!” Carstarphen posted.
The Atlanta Board of Education also cancelled its Thursday board meeting, which was scheduled as a make up session after last week’s meeting was also cancelled.
Henry County Schools announced it will close Thursday “due to unsafe road conditions and the continuation of freezing temperatures.”
