North Georgia is hitting the snooze button on school bells this Wednesday. After being walloped by severe storms, seven school districts will be opening their doors two hours later than usual. The delay comes as communities begin to sweep up the debris left from a tempest that did more than just rattle windows. According to Atlanta News First, those getting a delayed start due to the weather's wrath include Banks, Fannin, Gilmer, Habersham, Pickens, Towns, and Union County Schools.
As kids get to sleep in, adults are left to tally the cost of the storms that tore through Georgia with a fury. Moisture from the Gulf of Mexico turned the skies turbulent, and the area near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport saw Georgians scramble as tornado warnings blared for a short period, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. The storms were part of a larger system that brought not only fierce winds but also flooding. The delay in school start times is just one piece in the larger puzzle of post-storm logistics facing the area.
Local authorities and school officials are now working to ensure that when students return, they do so safely. While the weather promises to be calmer up until Friday, there's much to be done to return to some semblance of normalcy. This means a couple more hours for the districts to assess and manage the aftermath.
As for the full list of school delays, Banks County Schools won't ring their first bell until 10:00 a.m., and the other districts follow suit with two-hour late starts on Wednesday. These precautionary measures are not just about infrastructure but the safety of the young minds who will soon return, albeit a tad later, eager or begrudging, to their classrooms. The updates are coming in as districts continue to rigorously evaluate their readiness to welcome back their students and faculty.
Community members looking for real-time updates on school schedules can stay tuned to local news outlets.
