Cold Weather, Storm Cleanup Prompts Schedule Change For Howard Co. Schools Wednesday

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Officials have canceled school for Wednesday due to the National Weather Service's cold weather advisory that runs through 11 a.m. ET Wednesday, as well as continued inclement weather with "severe icy conditions and freezing temperatures and wind chills."

Both schools and offices are closed Wednesday. There will not be any afternoon or evening activities for students or staff Wednesday.

All community-sponsored programs held in HCPSS buildings also are canceled.

If Howard Community College is open as scheduled, HCPSS students who are enrolled at HCC and cannot attend due to a lack of transportation should notify their professors immediately using their MyHCC email or Canvas. HCC’s operating status can be found online.

Decisions regarding closings due to inclement weather will be made no later than 5:30 a.m., the school district stated. Two-hour delays will be called by 5:30 a.m. and reevaluated for closure no later than 7:30 a.m., officials noted.

When there's an emergency/school closing, information will be shared with the community through the following:

• HCPSS status website
• HCPSS homepage
• HCPSS Information Hotline – 410-313-6666
• HCPSS News email and text message alerts. Parents are automatically signed up for email alerts and only once need to opt in for text messaging. All subscription information comes directly from Family File. Community members who do not have children in the school system can sign up manually.

Parents/guardians and community members must opt into receiving HCPSS text message alerts. If you are unsure if you have already opted in, text the word “YES” to 67587 from the cell phone number on file in HCPSS Connect. For community members without students in the school system, text the word “YES” to 67587 from the cell phone number that you signed up with.

HCPSS does not use local media outlets, schools-out.com or e-schoolnews.com for any notifications, the district stated.

If schools are closed, or closed early due to weather conditions, all after-school and evening activities, both school and non-school, scheduled in school facilities are canceled. If schools are closed, or closed early due to weather conditions, all evening activities in schools, both school-sponsored and community-sponsored, are canceled. This includes high school athletic practices and games. All aftercare programs, sponsored by the Columbia Association and the Department of Recreation and Parks in Howard County public schools, are canceled, the school district stated.