Weather Guidelines

Wintry forecasts, severe weather, or poor road conditions can prompt Fayette County Public Schools to change routines or daily schedules across the district. It's a good idea to prepare in advance, especially if you need to arrange child care. We make the announcements as soon as possible through the local news, social media, the district's website, and via emails and texts to families.

Please take a moment to confirm or update your family's contact information and communication preferences in Infinite Campus to ensure you receive our notifications. Log in to the Campus Parent portal or ask your school’s registrar for assistance.

Students' safety is our top priority. Our goal is to let you know of changes as soon as possible, preferably the evening before the affected school day. However, weather is unpredictable and sometimes FCPS must make an early-morning decision.

Options & Effects

School cancellations

When classes are canceled, the school buildings are closed, all students have the day off, and the time might be made up or added to the instructional calendar.

Decisions about afternoon and evening activities are made as soon as possible. Principals then pass the word to coaches and sponsors.

Make-up days:

State law requires school districts to make up every day missed so that the school year contains at least 170 days of teaching and learning and 1,062 instructional hours. There is no exception unless FCPS misses 20 consecutive days or a change is approved by the governor or General Assembly. The FCPS calendars are updated after the district confirms each make-up date.

Delayed start

Schools start either one or two hours later than normal, as announced. Buses run regular routes; just add one or two hours to the regularly scheduled times. Breakfast will be available before school.

List of Schools' Start & End Times

All preschool sessions are canceled (a.m., p.m., and full-day).

Zero-hour classes are canceled for all schools. The technical centers' morning classes will meet if FCPS is on a one-hour delay, but are canceled if on a two-hour delay. Afternoon tech schedules remain the same either way.

School dismissal times remain the same, and afternoon and evening activities continue as usual.

Decisions about making up the time missed will be made on a case-by-case basis according to state guidelines.

Early dismissal

Lunch is served before dismissal. All after-school and evening activities are canceled.

List of Schools' Start & End Times

Preschool: With a one- or two-hour early dismissal, our full-day and morning preschool classes are open as usual. Children in the morning session ride their regular bus routes home. Preschoolers in the full-day programs ride the buses home at the early dismissal times with the other elementary students. Afternoon preschool sessions are canceled.

High schools: Morning technical school classes run on a regular schedule, and afternoon sessions are canceled.

After-School Care: After-school care stays open, but families should pick their children up as soon as possible. If the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government closes its offices, then after-care programs also close.

Decisions about making up the time missed will be made on a case-by-case basis in accordance with state guidelines.

Weekend activities

Fayette County Public Schools does not always have the final say about delays or cancellations of weekend events. For example, our students sometimes participate in competitions run by other organizations.

District- and school-sponsored activities do fall under FCPS jurisdiction, as do activities happening in district-owned facilities and travel in district-owned buses and vehicles.

District- and school-sponsored activities are subject to cancellation when:

There is clear and present danger for automobile travel on local streets and roads, as when local authorities issue warnings against unnecessary travel.
There is high probability of storm or other conditions that would most likely restrict safe travel on roads and streets during the next several hours.

Weather Watch

During winter, a team of district employees monitors the weather conditions along with meteorologists and the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Streets and Roads Division. When temperatures are predicted to reach extreme lows, FCPS considers a combination of factors -- including ambient temperature, wind chill, precipitation, road conditions, sidewalk conditions, and weather forecasts – in deciding whether to cancel school or delay the start of school. The district has not set a specific temperature, but would start considering a change to the school schedule if temperatures were forecast to be below 0 degrees and/or a wind chill advisory has been issued. The National Weather Service issues a wind chill advisory when wind chills of -10 to -24F are expected and a wind chill warning when wind chills of -25F or lower are expected.

Student safety is the district’s top priority, and we try to ensure that school buildings are a warm, safe, and ideal place for students to be when the weather is extremely cold. FCPS relies on families to make sure children are dressed appropriately. Ideally, students need winter hats, gloves, heavy coats, and boots. Layering thin pieces of dry clothing is best in extremely low temperatures. If you need help with winter clothing, please ask at your child's school.

Reminder

Weather and road conditions vary throughout Lexington. One end of the county might be clear while other areas of town are dangerous. With student safety as the guiding priority, FCPS makes decisions based on what's best for the whole community. The district also respects the right of each family to make different choices based on what they feel is best for their children's safety.

Proficient Reading:

Distinguished Reading:

Proficient Math:

Distinguished Math:

Logo Image

Logo Title

In This Section