These Kansas City school districts cancel classes for a second day after winter storm

Some Kansas City area students will get a second snow day on Friday, after a winter storm on Thursday dumped as much as 9 inches of snow in some parts of the metro.

Most area districts either canceled classes entirely or pivoted to online-only learning on Thursday, in anticipation of the snow that buried Kansas City, causing traffic problems and flight cancellations.

The storm might be over, but some districts are still proceeding with caution for Friday, giving students an even longer holiday weekend with Presidents Day on Monday. Others had already planned on giving students the day off for parent-teacher conferences or teacher work days.

Here are the districts that have announced closures:

Basehor-Linwood

Schools will be closed as previously scheduled

Belton

All schools will be closed for a previously scheduled staff development day.

Blue Springs

All schools will be closed due to inclement weather. Students will learn online from home.

Blue Valley

All schools will be closed as previously scheduled.

De Soto

All schools will be closed as previously scheduled.

Fort Osage

All schools will be closed for a previously scheduled staff development day.

Gardner Edgerton

All schools will be closed as previously scheduled.

Grain Valley

All schools will be closed due to inclement weather. Students will learn online.

Hickman Mills

All schools will be closed as previously scheduled.

Holden

All schools will be closed due to inclement weather.

Independence

All schools will be closed because of a previously scheduled staff development day.

Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools

All schools will be closed for an already scheduled day off for students.

Kansas City Public Schools

The district already had canceled school on Friday, which is a teacher work day. All school buildings will be closed.

Kearney

All classes are canceled due to inclement weather.

Leavenworth

Schools were already scheduled to be closed on Friday.

Lee’s Summit

All schools will be closed due to inclement weather. Students will learn online from home.

Liberty

All schools will be closed, as Friday already was a scheduled day off for students.

North Kansas City

All schools will be closed on Friday, a previously scheduled day off for students.

Olathe

All schools will be closed due to inclement weather.

Park Hill

All schools will be closed due to inclement weather. Students will learn virtually.

Platte County

Schools are closed because of a previously scheduled staff day.

Raymore-Peculiar

All schools will be closed, as Friday already was a scheduled day off for the district.

Raytown

All schools will be closed on Friday, which is a previously scheduled day off for students.

Shawnee Mission

All schools will be closed due to inclement weather. But day care will be in session, through the YMCA and Johnson County Parks and Recreation Department, at these locations: Benninghoven, Comanche, Santa Fe Trail and Trailwood.

Smithville

Schools will not be in session because of a previously scheduled teacher work day.

Spring Hill

All schools will be closed as previously scheduled.

Throughout the Kansas City metro on Thursday while some students were granted a traditional snow day, others logged in to virtual classes, in districts that decided to use up some of their limited hours granted by the state for remote learning. Educators mastered pivoting to online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic, however many schools have opted to instead cancel classes this school year during inclement weather.

Both Missouri and Kansas placed restrictions on remote learning. In Missouri, if a class or building must temporarily close, districts can submit a plan to the state, which could allow them up to 36 hours of alternative instruction, such as remote learning. Kansas allows 40 hours of remote learning per student.

This story will be updated.

This story was originally published February 17, 2022 at 3:02 PM.

Sarah Ritter

The Kansas City Star

Sarah Ritter was a watchdog reporter for The Kansas City Star, covering K-12 schools and local government in the Johnson County, Kansas suburbs since 2019.