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Wintry forecasts, severe weather, or poor road conditions can prompt Fayette County Public Schools to change routines or daily schedules in 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, FCPS-ETV, and via phone calls, texts, and emails to our families. Please make sure your child's school registrar has up-to-date phone numbers and emergency contacts for your family.
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Students' safety is our top priority. Depending on the conditions, FCPS has these choices:
- Use NTI (non-traditional instruction)
- Cancel school
- Delay the start of school
- Dismiss school early
Our goal is to let you know of changes as soon as possible, preferably the evening before the affected school day. However, sometimes we must make the decision early that morning.
Did you know? A team of district employees monitors the weather conditions along with meteorologists and the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Streets and Roads Division. They consider the roads, precipitation, outdoor temperatures, wind chills, current conditions, and the forecast.
Options & effects
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NTI weather days
With an NTI weather day, school buildings are closed but students participate in learning at home so it counts as a school day and does not need to be made up or added to the calendar. Students use their Chromebooks to complete lessons virtually.
- Visit Tech Support or call (859) 381-4410 for online assistance.
Decisions about afternoon and evening activities will be made as soon as possible and communicated by individual campus principals.
Note: Please contact your school's registrar to update your family's language preference or your contact information in Infinite Campus.
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School cancellations
A traditional closing means school buildings are closed, students have the day off, and the time might be made up or added to the current school year’s calendar. If school is canceled, all preschool sessions are canceled, too.
Decisions about afternoon and evening activities will be made as soon as possible and communicated by individual campus principals.
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.
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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.
All preschool sessions are canceled (a.m., p.m., and full-day).
Zero-hour classes are canceled at Paul Laurence Dunbar and Henry Clay high 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.
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Early dismissal
Afternoon preschool sessions, afternoon technical center classes, and after-school and evening activities are all canceled.
Buses will run afternoon routes, adjusted for the early dismissal. Simply subtract from the regular drop-off times.
Decisions about making up the time missed will be made on a case-by-case basis in accordance with state guidelines.
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What about the weekend?
All district activities scheduled on the weekend 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.
District activities are subject to being placed on hold when:
- The present weather conditions are not conducive to safe travel, but the local forecast indicates the conditions will likely be OK within the next three hours.
- Streets and roads might become unsafe for travel between 6 and 9 a.m.
The FCPS Transportation Division will make the call before 6 a.m. on Saturday. Once that decision is passed along to FCPS Police, all district activities are either canceled or placed on hold, as determined.
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Please remember that 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.