UPDATE: Feb. 11 at 9:30 a.m.
On Wednesday morning, Fayette County Public Schools explained the decision to mainly use snow days and not NTI days when the winter weather hit the region, resulting in school closures for two weeks.
School officials detailed that the district faces a $223,000 daily revenue loss when winter weather forces building closures, making the choice between traditional snow days and Non-traditional Instruction (NTI) days a critical financial decision that extends far beyond educational planning.
The significant financial impact stems from lost meal service revenue when students cannot attend school in person during severe weather events, officials noted.
While both snow days and NTI days prioritize student safety by keeping children at home during dangerous weather conditions, their long-term budget implications differ.
Traditional snow days offer districts a path to financial recovery. These missed instructional days typically require make-up sessions later in the academic year, providing schools the opportunity to serve meals and recoup the lost revenue.
NTI days present a different financial reality. Since these remote learning days count as completed instructional time, districts cannot schedule make-up days, resulting in permanent revenue loss of $223,000 per closure day, officials explained.
Original Story:
Fayette County Public Schools will use April 13 as a weather make-up day for students after multiple winter cancellations forced calendar changes.
The district announced the revision during a recent school board planning meeting Monday, with Pupil Personnel Director Steve Hill confirming that the Monday following Spring Break will now be a regular school day instead of the originally planned staff work day.
"The district's 2025-26 instructional calendar will be revised to use April 13 as a weather make-up day since Fayette County Public Schools has logged so many school cancellations this winter," Fayette County Public Schools reported.
March 20 had already been confirmed as a make-up day earlier in the school year. Additional potential make-up dates remain available in late May and early June if needed.
The district updates its online and PDF calendars following official announcements of make-up day schedules.
