No More Snow Days is Goal
January 11, 2023 - Students in Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) may be staying home on days when there is snow and ice on the roads or other extreme weather is in the forecast but they will still be doing school work. JCPS plans to utilize Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI) when possible this year rather than canceling school for the day. NTI is at-home learning and instruction, similar to what JCPS and other school districts utilized during the COVID-19 pandemic.
JCPS families received an email from the District today and schools have been sending communications to parents and guardians this week, explaining that JCPS does not plan to have typical snow days, delays or early dismiss, except in rare circumstances. The goal is to keep students engaged and learning at home while avoiding the need for make-up days that would extend the school year.
Families with children in JCPS' Early Childhood Program also received a letter on January 11, outlining the steps that program will follow on days when there is inclement weather.
It’s possible that NTI could be implemented as early as next week (January 16-19), based on the predicted forecast for the Louisville area. Today or Friday, students will be bringing home materials, a device/charger, or both in preparation for possible NTI. There is no school on Monday, January 15th in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthday.
If JCPS cancels in-person school and chooses to utilize NTI, parents and guardians will be notified through JCPS’ main email and text service (School Messenger), local news outlets, JCPS social media, and the District’s website. Parents and guardians should check with their child's school to make sure they have the most updated phone and email contact information for their family. Decisions and announcements on weather-related impacts on school will generally be made by 5 a.m. on school days.
In the event of NTI, schools will send out their school-specific NTI plan through their digital communication platform. Short-term NTI is asynchronous and self-paced, meaning students will not be receiving live, online instruction from a teacher. During NTI days, all before and after school activities such as athletic games and club meetings will be canceled.