School Closures Hit One-Week Mark

Local school districts have closed their doors for over a week since Winter Storm Fern impacted Middle and West Tennessee communities January 24-25. As the toll of snow days grows, some districts might exceed their allotted inclement weather days for the 2025-26 school year.

What does this mean for students?

Carroll County Schools closed Monday, January 26, and are slated to remain closed through Tuesday, February 3, as icy conditions endure. This amounts to seven school closures for the five school districts in Carroll County.

Tennessee law requires schools to have 180 instruction days per school year that meet for at least six-and-a-half hours.

Many of the Carroll County schools — McKenzie Special School District (MSSD) included — were only allotted six school closures in the case of inclement weather, in order to achieve the 180-day threshold. What these districts do next is up to their respective school boards.

Many districts also started the year with 13 stockpile days — days reserved for staff in-service days and additional school closers.

MSSD, for example, used three stockpile days for in-service days and one to close schools so students could attend the football state championship game in Chattanooga.

Once all stockpile days are used, there is a high likelihood districts will have to use established make-up days.

However, because Winter Storm Fern was declared an emergency by Governor Bill Lee, districts have another option to bypass the addition of make-up days to the school calendar.

As a last resort, districts and public charter schools may request a waiver in the event of a natural disaster to allow schools to fall short of the 180-day threshold due to days missed during a disaster, according to Tennessee Department of Education spokesperson Ricki Collins.

A waiver request, if approved, could forgive some or all of the days missed due to the winter storm.

MSSD’s make-up days are February 16 and March 23-27. Huntingdon Special School District’s make-up days are any remaining staff development days, February 16, March 23-27 and the end of the school year. Hollow Rock-Bruceton Special School District’s make-up days are February 9, March 23-25 and April 6. West Carroll Special School District’s make-up days are February 16 and March 23-26. Clarksburg School’s make-up days are not listed on the school calendar, but remaining scheduled stockpile days are February 13 and April 6.