Teachers stuck on roads, kids already at school after late FCPS decision for NTI day

Teachers were stuck on icy roads and students arrived at school to find in-person classes cancelled Tuesday when Fayette County Public Schools made a late decision to have a non-traditional instruction day.

Initially, district officials called a two-hour delay. But around 7:30 a.m., with road conditions not improving, officials said the district would be learning from home.

Fayette Superintendent Demetrus Liggins apologized to families in an early morning message.

“I am writing to you this morning to sincerely apologize for the timing of our weather announcements,” he said.

“As weather conditions shifted rapidly this morning, our team moved with extreme urgency to get the notification out to you,” Liggins said. ”Our primary concern was, and remains, the safety of our students, particularly those who were already preparing for their commutes or waiting at bus stops.

“While we have transitioned to non-traditional instruction (NTI) for the day to ensure learning continues, we recognize that these sudden changes to the school schedule can create significant challenges for your households.”

Liggins said he understands that families rely on timely communication. Later Tuesday morning, the district released a statement admitting that it “didn’t hit the mark” with regards to timing.

“Our community relies on timely communication to manage work schedules and childcare needs; we didn’t hit the mark on timing this morning, and we are owning that so we can do better,” district spokesperson Miranda Scully said. “Moving forward, we are reviewing this morning’s decision-making and communication processes to ensure earlier, clearer notifications whenever possible.”

Scully said the decision was focused on student and staff safety amid a “fast-moving weather event.”

“We recognize that the timing of this morning’s announcement did not meet our typical standards for notification, and for that, we sincerely apologize to our families and our staff,” she said.

A teacher at Lexington’s Paul Laurence Dunbar High School told students and families in a message just after 7:30 a.m. that students already at school should stay there until it is safe to leave.

“Please do not try to drive home, come inside and wait until the sun comes up and the traffic mess clears up! I’m here at the front door,” the message said.

Principal Matthew Spottswood at Maxwell Elementary confirmed teachers were stuck when he announced the NTI day.

“We have several teachers stuck on the road, so we will try to be available on our zoom links which will be reshared soon,” he said in a message to families.

Later Tuesday, district officials announced that FCPS afternoon and evening activities on Tuesday, March 17, are canceled.

‘I feel so bad for parents scrambling this morning’

April Deener, an 8th grade teacher at E.J. Hayes Middle School, told the Herald-Leader Tuesday she was already on her way to school when she got the notification of a two-hour delay.

“The roads were so slick,” Deener said. “I went ahead and came to school and at 8 a.m. was notified of a NTI day. I tried to go back home to prepare for NTI and office hours, but could not get out of the neighborhood (surrounding) Hayes. So I returned to school to do my office hours and give the traffic and roads time to clear out. Very frustrating. I feel so bad for parents scrambling this morning to figure things out.”

Some families reached out to Fayette County Board of Education member Monica Mundy to express their frustrations, Mundy said in a Facebook post.

“I understand the frustration and disruption (today’s) winter weather announcements has caused, and I’ve heard from many families and staff about how today has affected you,” Mundy said.

This story was originally published March 17, 2026 at 9:04 AM.