APS Cancels School on Monday, January 8th Due to Inclement Weather. We Will Welcome Students Back to School on Tuesday, January 9th!

1/7/2018 (UPDATE) As you know, the safety and security of all our students and staff at Atlanta Public Schools is among our top priorities. While we were looking forward to welcoming our students back after the holidays to kick off the second half of our school year, out of an abundance of caution, APS is cancelling school for Monday, January 8^th and all afterschool activities.

This decision to cancel school is in alignment with Governor Deal’s decision to close state offices (statement here) and the City of Atlanta’s closure due to weather (city statement here).

The Atlanta Board of Education (ABOE) swearing in ceremony and the election of board officers will proceed as planned tomorrow, however, the work session, community and legislative meeting will be postponed for a later date.  

APS has been monitoring the weather forecast closely and recent weather forecasts indicate possible winter weather including light freezing rain in the morning hours for the Atlanta metro area.  We want all of you to be safe, and we ask that parents and families be mindful of the weather conditions and to exercise caution when traveling throughout the metropolitan area. 

Monday is going to be a busy day as our city prepares for the activities surrounding the College Football National Championship game. It’s also important that parents and families exercise caution on the roads due to the anticipated traffic congestion especially in the afternoon hours as a result of the game, the potential arrival of the President into downtown Atlanta, and the resulting road closures.

For those parents and guardians with students at APS charter schools, we encourage you to contact your schools directly for scheduling information.

Remember to be safe and stay warm and we will welcome our students back on Tuesday, January 9, 2018!

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1/5/2018  Happy New Year! After our holiday break, Atlanta Public Schools (APS) is ready to welcome all students back to kick off the second half of our school year!  We are looking forward to a great start to the year and a great day of learning on Monday, January 8^th.

It is going to be a busy weekend in metro Atlanta as we prepare to welcome our students back and as the events and activities surrounding the College Football National Championship game get underway. This promises to be an exciting event for our city, and APS is thrilled about the spotlight and opportunity this event brings to our area.

Equally, we are fortunate to have a partnership with the College Football Playoff Foundation which will make a direct impact on our teachers and students through the Foundation’s support of our literacy initiatives, classroom makeovers, training for teachers and much more.

Because of all the fanfare and excitement around the championship game, I wanted to share our operational plans for Monday, January 8^th.

Our plan is to be open and operate on our normal schedule on Monday, January 8^th, and the Atlanta Board of Education meeting will proceed as scheduled on Monday as well.

We have been working in close coordination with city, county, and state officials and are aware that those agencies are closing early on Monday to stagger traffic. With this in mind, APS is deliberately operating our normal schedule on Monday to ensure that caregivers and adults are home before our students are released. Additionally, we acknowledge that the President’s visit may affect travel patterns in the Metropolitan area, and students and families should be aware that those traffic delays might affect afternoon bus routes.

In addition to the big game, my team and I are also closely monitoring the weather forecast for possible inclement weather. As we prepare to come back to school after our winter break, I want to remind all families to ensure the little ones are bundled up. Additionally, I encourage everyone to be mindful of the conditions and exercise caution when traveling throughout the metropolitan area.

We appreciate your continued engagement in our work across the District, and we will always do our best to communicate these latest developments with you. Have a wonderful weekend and we look forward to seeing you on Monday! Stay safe and warm!