Article Text

FCPS will keep schools on a two-hour delay Thursday, Feb. 5, and Friday, Feb. 6, as lingering ice from Winter Storm Fern continues to create hazardous conditions around sidewalks and bus stops.

The storm left some neighborhoods covered by as much as 8.5 inches of snow and ice, according to the National Weather Service. FCPS said the delayed openings will allow students to travel in daylight while navigating areas that remain frozen.

Bus pickups and school openings will occur two hours later than usual, but dismissal times will not change.

Some students see the schedule as a reasonable balance between safety and preserving classroom time. Senior Ahmed Baathallah said the delay gives him extra sleep and more time to prepare for a BC Calculus test.

Others believe conditions remain too dangerous. Senior Rayyan Mohamed said his bus stop was completely frozen, forcing students to wait beside a road with moving traffic. He also said buses arrived 15 minutes late because of the snow, ice and increased traffic from parents.

Students have voiced similar concerns on social media. In a response to FCPS’s delay announcement, Instagram user avi.kashyap10 urged the district to cancel classes, arguing that icy conditions could cause injuries or accidents.

FCPS expects full school days to resume during the week beginning Feb. 9. Updated information is scheduled to be released Sunday afternoon.

Several programs will follow modified schedules while the delays remain in effect. Morning preschool and certain special education classes are canceled. Full-day preschool, special education and Early Head Start/Pre-K programs will open two hours late.

Morning field trips and transportation to high school academy classes are also canceled. Transportation will still be provided for academy classes beginning after 12:45 p.m.

Adult High School and GED courses will start two hours late, while homebound instruction will begin at 10 a.m.

Families who believe their children would be safer staying home may contact their school to request an excused absence.