Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will be closed Monday because of concerns about icy roads in the morning, Superintendant Peter Gorman said Sunday evening.
Monday will be a optional teacher workday for all employees, Gorman said. He said he would recommend Monday, Feb. 15, a scheduled teacher workday, as a makeup day.
CMS spent Sunday checking roads. While main roads are clear, many secondary roads are still icy and not safe for travel.
“Safety of our students and staff is our number one priority,” Gorman said. “Because this is such a large county, sometimes there are weather issues in some parts and none in other areas.”
All after-school activities (tutorials, PTA meetings and athletic contests) will be canceled. CMS new-employee orientation and all professional development activities are also canceled. As is the mid-year graduation ceremony scheduled for Bojangles Coliseum on Monday. Instead, the graduation has been rescheduled for Tuesday at 5 and 6:30 p.m.
Union County and Gaston County also announced Sunday evening they will not hold class on Monday.
The question being asked across the Piedmont and foothills this Sunday evening is:
Will there be school Monday?
Students and staff in the Caldwell County Schools, north of Hickory, were first to get an answer. Officials in that system decided Saturday evening to call of classes Monday.
Other school systems are joining the list. As of Sunday evening, these schools have announced they’ll be closed Monday:
* Alexander County
* Anson County
* Burke County
* Cabarrus County
* Caldwell County
* Catawba County
* Central Piedmont Community College
* Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
* Charlotte Catholic and other Catholic schools in Charlotte
* Gaston County
* Hickory City
* Huntersville SouthView Christian
* Iredell-Statesville Schools
* Lincoln County
* Lincoln County Charter Schools
* Kannapolis City
* Mitchell Community College (Statesville)
* Mooresville
* Mooresville Graded School District
* Newton-Conover City
* Richmond County
* Rock Hill School District 3
* Rowan-Salisbury School System
* Stanly Community College
* Stanly County
* Union County
* UNC Charlotte
* York County
Dont see your school? Check WCNC’s list of closings.
The rest of the area will have to wait a bit longer, to see if snow, sleet and ice from the weekend winter storm will cause school closings Monday.
Given the heavy snow and very icy conditions on roads in most counties across the Charlotte metro region today, it is likely that school systems — especially those north of Interstate 85 — will be closed Monday. In fact, some closings or delayed openings are expected Tuesday.
Temperatures reached the upper 30s Sunday, which limited the melting. And with readings expected in the middle teens early Monday, re-freezing on roads and sidewalks will cause treacherous driving and walking conditions again.
The days when parents had to rely on phone trees or lists of closings scrolling along a TV screen are long gone. Most districts in the Charlotte region offer automated phone calls, text messages and/or e-mail to spread the word. Many also use Facebook and Twitter.
The first step is to make sure your child’s school has current, accurate contact information – including a work number or e-mail address and a cell phone number if you want text messages. District Web sites and TV stations also announce closings as soon as decisions are made.
Here’s how to keep up:
*Charlotte-Mecklenburg: http://www.cms.k12.nc.us, CMS-TV Cable 3 and Facebook. From the Web site, anyone can click “Sign up for news” in the red bar at left and get emergency updates.
*Cabarrus: http://www.cabarrus.k12.nc.us or Time Warner Cable 21.
*Catawba: http://www.catawbaschools.net, Facebook and Twitter.
*Gaston: http://www.gaston.k12.nc.us or Time Warner Cable 21.
*Iredell-Statesville: http://www.iss.k12.nc.us (click at the bottom of the page for an RSS feed), Facebook and Twitter.
*Lincoln: http://www.lincoln.k12.nc.us
*Union: http://www.ucps.k12.nc.us, Facebook and Twitter
