Northeast Georgia will likely only see rain today, but there is still a small chance for icy conditions, which could pose a threat to school buses and commuters heading to class.
Clarke County School District Weather Decisions
Mary Wickwire, communications specialist with the Clarke County School District, said they kept an eye on the weather conditions throughout the night and made a decision by 6 a.m., which was to keep schools open today. If there was a closing, parents and students would be notified by local news outlets, emails and an alert through the school district’s app.
Wickwire said when the district decides to cancel class or have a delayed opening, school officials look at ice and snow on the road and power outages. She said the safety of the students is their main concern.
“We don’t want any of our school buses to be in danger, and we want to keep all of our kids safe at all times,” she said.
Ultimately, Wickwire said the Clarke County school district stays in touch with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency for the latest updates on the weather conditions. If the Governor advises the schools to close, then they will close. That is one of the biggest factors on their decisions, Wickwire said.
University of Georgia Weather Alert
UGA keeps students up to date on any schedule changes or cancelled classes through ArchNews, social media accounts and Athens radio stations with a final decision by 6:30 a.m.
The University sent a tweet at 6:26 p.m. stating that the Athens campus will be open for normal operations today, but they are continuing to monitor the situation. You can check https://emergency.uga.edu for the latest updates.
Sarah Hammond is a senior majoring in journalism in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Georgia.
