Level Grove Road was still iced over in front of Level Grove Elementary School Sunday afternoon. School superintendent Matthew Cooper calls it “an accident waiting to happen.”
Habersham County public schools will be closed Monday, January 9, 2017 for all students, teachers and staff. The decision to close school was made Sunday evening after school officials inspected local roads and discovered that many are still in poor driving condition after this weekend’s snow storm. Schools are closed in all but four of Northeast Georgia’s 17 county school districts.
The National Weather Service warns that melting snow and ice will continue to pose a threat as temperatures dip into the single digits and water refreezes in patches of black ice.
Habersham County School Superintendent Matthew Cooper says the school system has compiled a list of numerous back roads that have ice on them. “It is not safe for students or staff tomorrow. A delay for staff would do no good with temperatures in teens tonight,” Cooper explains. “We are not willing to put nearly 1000 employees at risk in the morning.”
Cooper says taking the day off Monday will give maintenance staff a chance to clear sidewalks and parking lots at the Board of Education and at the county’s 14 schools.
He says the school system is forwarding its list of icy roads to the Habersham County Road Department. “We will check roads again tomorrow afternoon with the hope of getting back to school on Tuesday.”
The Board of Education meeting previously scheduled for Monday, January 9, has been rescheduled for Thursday, January 12, 2017. The work session will begin at 4 p.m. with the regular meeting to follow at 6 p.m. in the Board Meeting Room at the Administrative Office Building located at 132 Stanford Mill Road in Clarkesville.
