Kansas City-area schools dismissing students early due to severe weather threat
Multiple school districts across the Kansas City area will dismiss students early Friday as severe weather threatens the area with large hail, damaging winds, and possibly isolated tornadoes.
“Based on updated weather information, we made this decision after consultation with the National Weather Service to prioritize safety and ensure buses, student drivers and families are not on the road during peak storm conditions,” the Lee’s Summit School District said when announcing the early dismissal on Facebook.
In addition to Lee’s Summit, other school districts announcing early dismissal due to the approaching severe weather include Baldwin City, Blue Springs, Excelsior Springs, Grain Valley, Pleasant Hill, Raymore-Pecuiliar, and Raytown. Meanwhile, Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools is canceling all afternoon activities, including KidZone. Dismissals may be delayed if severe weather is moving through.
Strong to severe storms are possible in the Kansas City region Friday afternoon and evening, starting as early as 1 or 2 p.m. KC can expect large hail early, damaging winds later and isolated tornadoes possible, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasters also warned of possible flash flooding and river flooding as storms could drop torrential rain and repeatedly hit the same areas.
The table below includes the closings and delays from schools, businesses and more across the Kansas City region.
Have a closure to announce? Use this form to submit closing notices for your school, organization or business. (If you’re having trouble viewing the table, use this link.)
This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 11:43 AM.
