BREAKING: Atlanta Schools Decide On Early Dismissal

ATLANTA, GA — Following the lead of other school districts in metro Atlanta, the Atlanta Public Schools announced Friday afternoon that all schools will close one hour earlier due to inclement weather. The school district also cancelled all Friday after-school and evening activities, including community meetings, and all weekend activities.

Although the city's roads are not predicted to freeze during the school day, the school district decided to close the schools early "out of an abundance of caution," according to an APS statement.

"Even with an early dismissal, because of the traffic and weather conditions, we are anticipating that students, at best, will make it home at the regular time," the school district said. "This allows us to get all students back to school who are currently out on field trips."

The National Weather Service on Friday morning issued a hazardous weather outlook for much of north and central Georgia, including metro Atlanta. According to the NWS, the wintry mix of rain and snow should turn to all snow across north and west-central Georgia Friday.

The adjusted schedule for a majority of schools is as follows:

• Elementary Schools - 1:30 p.m.
• High Schools - 2:30 p.m.
• Middle Schools - 3:05 p.m.

A few schools in the district operate on a unique schedule. Those dismissals are as follows:

• Whitefoord Inc. PreK - 1:15 p.m.
• Forest Hills Academy - 3:15 p.m.
• North Atlanta High School - 2:45 p.m.
• Sutton Sixth Grade Campus - 3:15 p.m.
• West End Academy - 2:42 p.m.
• Crim Open Campus - 2:30 p.m.
• North Metro - 2:15 p.m.

"Even with an early dismissal, because of the traffic and weather conditions, we are anticipating that students, at best, will make it home at the regular time," the school district said. "This allows us to get all students back to school who are currently out on field trips."

For updates, please visit the district’s website at www.atlantapublicschools.us, social media channels and local media outlets.

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