The remnants of Winter Storm Izzy continue to impact the northeastern corner of Georgia. Habersham and Rabun County schools announced changes to their schedules, among others.
Rabun County will switch to online learning on Thursday, January 20, and Friday, January 21. Habersham County Schools will operate on a 2-hour delay Thursday.
Administrators in both systems say icy road conditions on rural back roads caused them to alter their schedules.
This past weekend’s winter storm forced dozens of Northeast Georgia schools to close earlier this week. Habersham and Rabun were hit hardest by the storm. Habersham received between 4-6 inches of snow, while some areas of Rabun got up to 9 inches. As of Wednesday afternoon, about 300 Georgia Power customers in Rabun County were still waiting on their electricity to be restored.
Habersham County School Superintendent Matthew Cooper issued this statement to the media and parents on Wednesday regarding the school system’s decision to delay classes on Thursday:
“Once again, school officials have been checking road conditions this afternoon.
Conditions have improved greatly from yesterday. There are still some isolated icy areas in the shade but temperatures will remain well above freezing tonight. We also expect rain late tonight which will aid continued thawing.
Our transportation department has requested a 2-hour delay on Thursday. The primary purpose of the delay is to allow our school buses to navigate in daylight. There is still some concern with low-hanging lines and trees in roadways. It is impossible to check every road and it’s best to deal with any unknowns in the daylight. Most of our buses spend an hour or more in the dark on a normal schedule. The delay will also address any isolated icy spots that remain on back roads.
Internet and phone service has now been restored at all schools which is great news.
We encourage everyone to be prepared for more winter weather Thursday night into Friday. The timing of the event could be a worst-case scenario with students being at school when snowfall begins. Be prepared for a possible closure or delay on Friday. We will be watching that situation closely.”
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