All public schools in Harford County will be closed on days when roads, school parking lots and/or school driveways/walkways are considered to be unsafe for school bus transportation or student/staff use. The decision to close is made by the superintendent of schools by 5:00 a.m. or as early as possible on the morning in question. This determination is made after consulting with HCPS staff tasked with physically checking the roads, the state police, the sheriff’s office, the state and county highway departments and other sources of information in different parts of the county.
Some weather conditions make it advisable to delay the opening time of schools.
• If schools are delayed one hour, morning half-day prekindergarten will start at 10:00 a.m. and fourth tier schools prekindergarten will begin at 10:30 a.m.; afternoon half-day prekindergarten will proceed as originally scheduled.
• If schools are delayed two hours, there will be no morning half-day prekindergarten or early intervention programs; afternoon half-day prekindergarten will proceed as originally scheduled at 1:00 and 1:30 p.m. for fourth tier school prekindergarten programs.
• If elementary schools have a scheduled teachers’ planning/early dismissal and there is a two-hour delay, students will NOT be dismissed early but will remain in school for the regular school day.
Any change from the normal school schedule as a result of inclement weather will be communicated through our rapid telephone notification system, email, text message, Twitter, Facebook and on radio and television broadcasts. In addition, changes will be listed on the HCPS website at www.hcps.org
Parents/guardians always have the right not to send their children to school if they feel travel conditions are unsafe. The student will be marked as lawfully absent.
Announcements will only be made when schools will be closed or have delayed openings or early closings. No telephone calls or media announcements will be made when schools are operating on a normal schedule. In order to keep school telephone lines open for emergency calls, parents/guardians are urged not to call the school concerning delays or closings. This information will be reported as soon as possible using the communication vehicles listed above.
The school system website is always kept up-to-date with school/school system delays, closures and early dismissals.