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Memphis-Shelby County Schools will be closed Thursday and Friday, marking a full week of canceled classes due to last weekend’s winter storm.
All weekend activities will also be canceled, the district announced on Wednesday. According to The Daily Memphian, messy road conditions are expected to persist through next week, with the city’s limited supply of plows unable to clear the sheets of ice covering neighborhood streets.
Thursday is the only day forecast to reach above freezing temperatures before this weekend, city officials said.
MSCS has eight inclement-weather days built into the calendar to avoid extending the school year. Five will be used as of this week, leaving only three for any additional cancellations in the months ahead.
According to MSCS policy, the superintendent can decide as late as the morning of the affected school day whether to close schools or dismiss students early. Under Tennessee law, districts can use up to four hybrid instruction days per year, meaning some students are in-person and others virtual, and up to five remote learning days per semester due to inclement weather.
Correction: An earlier version of this story previously stated that Tennessee law banned school districts from using virtual learning days during inclement weather. That is incorrect; districts can use up to five each semester.
Bri Hatch covers Memphis-Shelby County Schools for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Reach Bri at bhatch@chalkbeat.org.
