‘Not safe.’ Fayette schools cancel classes Thursday and Friday amid winter storm.

Fayette County Public Schools officials announced Wednesday they are canceling in-person classes Thursday and Friday as Winter Storm Blair continues.

A three-day storm of snow and ice has paralyzed much of the region and state, and more snow is expected to fall beginning Friday.

“Fayette County continues to experience the strong effects of Winter Storm Blair,” district spokesperson Dia Davidson-Smith said in a Wednesday statement.

“After a thorough assessment, we have decided to cancel school for the rest of the week” — on Thursday, January 9, and Friday, January 10, she said. “The safety of our students and staff is our priority when making these decisions.”

“Many of our side roads in the county are still inaccessible, making it difficult for buses to safely navigate their routes. Also, frigid temperatures forecasted for the early morning hours pose a risk to students waiting at their bus stops. Combined with heating and other storm-related challenges at several of our school buildings, it is not safe to hold in-person classes at this time,” Davidson-Smith said.

Because many students do not have their Chromebooks at home due to the storm arriving right after winter break, district officials are also unable to implement Non-Traditional Instruction, or at-home learning days, Davidson-Smith said.

“As a result, these days will be considered traditional snow closures, and not NTI days,” Davidson-Smith said.

Evening and after-school activities scheduled for Thursday and Friday are canceled.

Classes were also canceled January 7 and 8 because of the storm. Schools were out Monday, Jan. 6 for winter break.

Snow day options

At least 12 other Kentucky school districts had announced by Wednesday afternoon that that they canceled in-person classes for the rest of the week.

Fayette school board chairman Tyler Murphy said in a Facebook post that the need for any revisions to the instructional calendar will be considered by the school board in consultation with the calendar committee as the threat of winter weather recedes.

Kentucky Education Commissioner Robbie Fletcher said in a statement earlier this week that Kentucky school districts have several options to cancel classes as a result of winter weather:

▪ Weather Canceled: The district can take a “W: Weather Canceled” day. These days would need to be made up before the end of the year to meet the 170-day, 1,062 hours of instruction for a traditional calendar, or 1,062 hours of instruction for a variable school calendar.

▪ NTI Days: Each district has 10 Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI) days that can be used for weather, health and safety. The NTI plan for these days must be approved by the Kentucky Department of Education prior to using these days.

▪ Emergency Day Waivers: If the district missed more than 20 school days due to an emergency, the commissioner of education could approve the emergency waiver. The first 20 days would need to be added back into the calendar, and the waiver would count for days missed over and above the first 20 days. Attendance is waived for the amount of time missed over 20 days.

This story was originally published January 8, 2025 at 1:41 PM.