Columbia Public Schools cancel classes Friday ahead of ice storm
Columbia Public Schools have canceled classes Friday as the city prepares for an imminent ice storm.
A text message was sent to parents around noon Thursday which read, “Due to imminent extreme weather conditions, Columbia Public Schools will not be in session tomorrow Fri, Jan. 13.”
An email to parents shed some light on the district’s decision to cancel class, noting that it was advised by MoDOT and Columbia Public Works.
“Emergency operations, county, city and MoDOT partners have requested that we consider not being in session tomorrow, Friday, January 13. While we hesitate to cancel based on a forecast, with these factors in mind, we believe it is in the best interest of safety for our students that Columbia Public Schools not be in session tomorrow, Friday, January 13,” the email read.
This comes after CPS opted not to cancel class during the Dec. 16 ice storm. The decision caused many school buses to run late, with the last bus dropping off students around 1 a.m.
Following the Dec. 16 storm, CPS issued a press release about their decision, saying the “timing of the weather and the size of our district would not have allowed us to begin dismissal processes any earlier. We were advised to wait for regular dismissal in order to allow time for roads to be treated, for the ground temperature to rise, and for bus drivers to make it safely to drive afternoon routes.”
ABC 17 News is working to get in touch with CPS to learn more about their decision to cancel classes tomorrow. You can find a full list of cancelations here.
