News & Announcements

Black ice formed overnight on several roads, bridges, and overpasses across our area, creating hazardous travel conditions that will persist until temperatures rise above freezing after 9:00 AM this morning. Rutherford County Schools will observe a remote learning day for all students at all grade levels today. Today's exams for high school students will be rescheduled, and our high schools will directly communicate specific details about those adjustments to their students and families.

Rutherford County Schools will observe an Optional Teacher Workday for all school system employees today. Eligible employees who face hazardous travel conditions this morning are authorized to telework pursuant to policies 7503 and 7550. Eligible employees who elect to telework today should promptly communicate with their immediate supervisors regarding those arrangements.

A mix of rain and frozen precipitation has developed in several locations within Rutherford County, and the National Weather Service continues to forecast temperatures at or just below freezing over the next several hours. Given the likelihood that black ice could form quickly on some roads, bridges, and overpasses in our area, Rutherford County Schools will observe a remote learning day for all students at all grade levels today. Today's exams for high school students will be rescheduled, and our high schools will directly communicate specific details about those adjustments to their students and families.

Rutherford County Schools will observe an Optional Teacher Workday for all school system employees today. Eligible employees who face hazardous travel conditions this morning are authorized to telework pursuant to policies 7503 and 7550, attached for your convenience below. Eligible employees who elect to telework today should promptly communicate with their immediate supervisors regarding those arrangements.

Se ha desarrollado una mezcla de lluvia y precipitación helada en varios lugares dentro del condado de Rutherford, y el Servicio Meteorológico Nacional continúa pronosticando temperaturas en o justo por debajo de cero durante las próximas horas. Dada la probabilidad de que se forme hielo negro rápidamente en algunas carreteras, puentes y pasos elevados en nuestra área, las escuelas del condado de Rutherford observarán hoy un día de aprendizaje remoto para todos los estudiantes de todos los grados. Los exámenes de hoy para los estudiantes de secundaria se reprogramarán, y nuestras escuelas secundarias comunicarán directamente detalles específicos sobre esos ajustes a sus estudiantes y familias.

Las escuelas del condado de Rutherford observarán hoy un día laboral opcional para maestros para todos los empleados del sistema escolar. Los empleados elegibles que enfrentan condiciones de viaje peligrosas esta mañana están autorizados a trabajar a distancia de conformidad con las políticas 7503 y 7550, adjuntas para su conveniencia a continuación. Los empleados elegibles que elijan trabajar a distancia hoy deben comunicarse de inmediato con sus supervisores inmediatos con respecto a esos arreglos.

Regrettably, we have reached a critical point where school operations are simply no longer sustainable under our current delivery model. During its meeting last night, the Board of Education approved the following plan to modify school operations in response to those conditions:
• Elementary schools will temporarily transition to Plan C for remote learning
only from Monday, December 14, until Tuesday, January 19. Elementary
schools will reopen for hybrid learning under Plan B on Tuesday, January 19.
• Middle and high schools except the Rutherford Opportunity Center will
temporarily transition to Plan C for remote learning only from Wednesday,
January 6, until they reopen for hybrid learning under Plan B on Tuesday,
January 19.

Quite a few schools across Rutherford County remain without electrical power this morning, and some area roads remain hazardous for travel, following yesterday’s passage of Tropical Cyclone Zeta. Given those conditions, Rutherford County Schools will be closed for face-to-face instruction today. We will observe an Optional Teacher Workday for school employees and a remote learning day for all students. School employees who plan to travel to their schools today should exercise caution on area roads and communicate with their immediate supervisors if any adjustments to their reporting times are necessary to ensure their safe travel.

Periods of heavy rain and strong winds associated with Tropical Cyclone Zeta brought down numerous trees and power lines throughout Rutherford County as the storm crossed our region through the early- to mid-morning hours today, leading to impassable roads and widespread power outages. While we have seen some improvement to those conditions throughout the afternoon, some roads require additional attention and numerous schools across the county remain without power this evening.

At this time, Rutherford County Schools will operate on a two-hour delay on Friday, October 30. We will reassess road conditions and electrical service to our school campuses overnight tonight and announce any additional adjustments to tomorrow’s school schedule no later than 7:00 AM tomorrow morning. Please be alert to the possibility that tomorrow's initial delay could become a closure if conditions do not significantly improve during the overnight hours.

The National Weather Service has issued a Tropical Storm Warning for our area. Tropical Cyclone Zeta will affect local weather and travel conditions as the storm approaches western North Carolina overnight tonight and passes through the region tomorrow. Along with some periods of heavy rain that may lead to isolated flooding, tropical storm force winds are expected across all of Rutherford County. We anticipate sustained winds of 30 to 35 miles per hour, with wind gusts of 40 to 45 miles per hour, increasing the risk of downed trees and power lines and creating unsafe travel conditions – especially for high-profile vehicles like school buses.

In anticipation of the storm’s arrival and impact, Rutherford County Schools will be closed for face-to-face instruction on Thursday, October 29. We will observe an Optional Teacher Workday for school employees and a remote learning day for all students. School employees should exercise caution on area roadways and should communicate with their immediate supervisors if any adjustments to their reporting times are necessary to ensure their safe travel.