LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Jefferson County Public Schools will be back in classrooms Friday after severe weather prompted power outages at schools and bus compounds and littered roads with debris.
JCPS canceled classes Thursday after about a dozen schools and some bus compounds lost power overnight and into the morning, Carolyn Callahan, chief of communications and communications for JCPS, said during a news conference. The district later called off extracurricular activities and sports Thursday.
As of 11 a.m. Thursday, Bates Elementary, Minors Lane Elementary, Atherton High and Liberty High remained without power, Callahan said in an email to WDRB News.
Storm debris and downed trees also posed transportation problems for the district, she said during Thursday's news conference. JCPS decided against transitioning to nontraditional instruction because of power outages in Jefferson County, making participation in remote instruction impossible for some families, she said.
"We have crews out now who are assessing the damage at our buildings right now," Callahan said. "We are happy to say from our preliminary reports that we're just seeing some minor damage — trees down, branches down, some trees down in parking lots or at playgrounds — but we are still going through our buildings and seeing if there's any other damage that we need to know about."
JCPS will ask the Jefferson County Board of Education to forgive Thursday's missed day of school rather than making it up later in the 2021-22 school year.
"Right now we are anticipating being back in school tomorrow, but we will of course keep you all updated," Callahan said.
A community forum at Marion C. Moore School on the district's proposed student assignment plan revisions scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday will happen as planned.
The district rescheduled a similar community forum scheduled Wednesday at Ballard High School for April 27 as severe weather threatened the area.
Copyright 2022 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
