WACO, Texas — Dozens of school districts across central Texas have already announced they will be closed on Thursday ahead of the winter storm moving into the area.
For a complete list of Central Texas districts that have announced school closures click here.
Districts track the weather for days when a winter storm is expected before they make the decision to close.
"We start by monitoring the weather and monitor that on the hour by the hour," Temple ISD Superintendent Bobby Ott explained. "If it's something we're going to decide that morning, we'll have the bus drivers. They go out at 3 or 4 in the morning, drive routes and decide if they are safe or not safe."
The decision to close Thursday was based on meteorologist predictions and conversations with other districts in the area.
"We definitely communicated with other districts and everybody had the same concerns as far as safety goes," Executive Director of Communications at Waco ISD Alice Jauregui told 25 News. "And so the decision was made together to go ahead and call it for Thursday."
"It's very important that all school districts in this area do a good job of staying in contact with each other," Ott said. "We have our own resources for monitoring the weather, we compare notes and try to make the decisions that serve our families and communities."
It's unclear if schools will be back open on Friday or not. Some, like West ISD, have already decided on two-hour delays.
All districts ask parents to keep an eye out for emails, texts, or phone calls from your local district.
