FORSYTH COUNTY — The Forsyth County school system has announced that there will be no school on Thursday due to the lingering icy conditions. In a statement from the district, all 12-month employees were told to report when or if conditions permit. It goes on to note that all after-school activities and athletics for Thursday have also been cancelled. The school system released students early Tuesday, ahead of the winter storm, and also was closed on Wednesday. The National Weather Service forecast calls for temperatures to climb above 40 degrees on Thursday, which would help thaw roads, but no decision has been made about whether to hold school Friday. Also undetermined, system spokeswoman Jennifer Caracciolo said, is if and when the missed days will be made up.“That’s the question everyone wants to know, ‘When are we going to make it up?’ We don’t know yet what we’re going to do,” she said.“We’re just going to take it day to day. [Officials] will probably reconvene next week to decide.” Caracciolo did have an answer to the other pressing question she said school system leaders have been receiving.“No, the missed days won’t impact spring break,” she said. While the school system’s calendar has just one inclement weather day remaining (April 21), any make-up days won’t fall during the break March 31-April 4, according to Caracciolo. The first inclement weather day is set for March 17, and will take the place of Jan. 7, when single-digit temperatures forced the district to call off school. Caracciolo acknowledged the frustration that some parents, particularly those who have lived in winter-hardy areas of the country, may feel with the situation. However, there are many factors that go into the decision-making process.“It’s not just the main roads [that need to be clear],” she said. “We have to take into consideration the side roads and neighborhoods that are not getting sun today [and won’t thaw].” She also noted that district has 35 campuses, around all of which the roads must be safe and passable. There’s also the parking lots and sidewalk treatments to consider. Caracciolo credited school system staff for Forsyth managing to avoid having any students stranded at school Tuesday night, as was the case in some other districts.“A huge thank-you goes out to teachers, who were there as students were dismissing yesterday, and also to bus drivers and maintenance staff,” she said. She added that there were a couple of isolated pockets in north Forsyth that school buses were unable to reach. However, staff members with four-wheel-drive vehicles drove the handful of children who were affected home.
FORSYTH COUNTY — The Forsyth County school system has announced that there will be no school on Thursday due to the lingering icy conditions. In a statement from the district, all 12-month employees were told to report when or if conditions permit. It goes on to note that all after-school activities and athletics for Thursday have also been cancelled. The school system released students early Tuesday, ahead of the winter storm, and also was closed on Wednesday. The National Weather Service forecast calls for temperatures to climb above 40 degrees on Thursday, which would help thaw roads, but no decision has been made about whether to hold school Friday. Also undetermined, system spokeswoman Jennifer Caracciolo said, is if and when the missed days will be made up.“That’s the question everyone wants to know, ‘When are we going to make it up?’ We don’t know yet what we’re going to do,” she said.“We’re just going to take it day to day. [Officials] will probably reconvene next week to decide.” Caracciolo did have an answer to the other pressing question she said school system leaders have been receiving.“No, the missed days won’t impact spring break,” she said. While the school system’s calendar has just one inclement weather day remaining (April 21), any make-up days won’t fall during the break March 31-April 4, according to Caracciolo. The first inclement weather day is set for March 17, and will take the place of Jan. 7, when single-digit temperatures forced the district to call off school. Caracciolo acknowledged the frustration that some parents, particularly those who have lived in winter-hardy areas of the country, may feel with the situation. However, there are many factors that go into the decision-making process.“It’s not just the main roads [that need to be clear],” she said. “We have to take into consideration the side roads and neighborhoods that are not getting sun today [and won’t thaw].” She also noted that district has 35 campuses, around all of which the roads must be safe and passable. There’s also the parking lots and sidewalk treatments to consider. Caracciolo credited school system staff for Forsyth managing to avoid having any students stranded at school Tuesday night, as was the case in some other districts.“A huge thank-you goes out to teachers, who were there as students were dismissing yesterday, and also to bus drivers and maintenance staff,” she said. She added that there were a couple of isolated pockets in north Forsyth that school buses were unable to reach. However, staff members with four-wheel-drive vehicles drove the handful of children who were affected home.