Howard Co. Schools Announce Schedule Change For Monday, Tuesday

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Potentially unsafe sidewalks, paths and parking lots due to refreezing conditions for Monday and Tuesday morning have prompted school officials to implement two-hour late starts both days at all Howard County public schools.

Offices also will open late.

Officials said they will reevaluate conditions by 7:30 a.m. and only a change in the two-hour late start status will be communicated to families.

"HCPSS operations staff, county partners and neighborhood communities have worked extremely hard all week and over the weekend to clear parking lots, paths and sidewalks. However, less than ideal surface conditions remain across the county due to the large buildup of snow and ice and consistently below freezing temperatures that have made cleanup unusually difficult," the school district stated.

"Students should take great care and extra precautions when walking on pathways, sidewalks, boarding/exiting buses and cars, and maneuvering through parking lots, including using designated crosswalks and staying alert. Parents/guardians may remind children about the dangers of stepping or walking on any water that has iced over. It is not possible to tell how much weight ice can withstand, and ice cracking/breaking can result in serious injuries," HCPSS officials said.

All morning childcare programs in HCPSS schools sponsored by the Columbia Association and the Howard County Department of Recreation & Parks will be delayed two hours.

School bus pick up times will be two hours later than usual. Some delays are expected as bus drivers have been asked to drive well under the speed limit and exercise extreme caution around narrow roads, icy paths and turns into and out of neighborhoods.

All morning sessions of half-day pre-kindergarten and RECC are canceled.

There won't be no morning ARL classes. ARL afternoon classes will be held per the ARL delayed opening schedule.

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.

Families are encouraged to ensure students are appropriately dressed for the cold weather, including wearing multiple layers of loose-fitted clothing, and covering heads, hands and faces to minimize skin exposure.

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.