MEMPHIS, Tenn — Memphis-Shelby County Schools were closed again Monday, the fifth straight day of missed classes in the wake of the snow and freezing weather.
Monday evening, they announced that the majority of MSCS schools and office buildings will reopen on Tuesday.
Before the announcement, the district told ABC24 around two dozen schools had low to no water pressure, with most of them in East and Southeast Memphis.
In a statement, MSCS said Memphis Light Gas and Water is making “significant progress” in its repairs and they are “actively reassessing the status of school buildings.”
“We also have a few schools that are running on a boiler and HVAC, so they are without heat because they don't have the water pressure due to a water main break,” said Amber Huett-Garcia, MSCS school board member for District 8.
Huett-Garcia said the district considered reopening schools on Monday, but based on road conditions, water availability and building concerns, they decided against it.
“We don’t want to go back prematurely and not be able to get everyone there safely,” she said.
Huett-Garcia said they are already making contingency plans to deliver water to schools and prepare meals for students.
Middle school parent Jim Stubbs said he didn't learn about Monday's closure until about 9 p.m. Sunday.
“I think they should’ve communicated a little bit faster, earlier in the week to let the people know, let the parents know that school was going to continue to be out,” Stubbs said.
Stubbs said he thinks the City of Memphis and MLGW should have done more to prepare for this weather, and he’s concerned about how many days of school his son has missed so far during January of 2024.
“Because it could happen again and we’re still not out of it,” he said. “It’s still winter.”
MSCS has 13 emergency days built into its calendar, and as of Monday, they've used five.
On Monday night, MSCS said the following schools will reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 23:
- Dunbar ES
- E.E. Jeter ES
- Crump ES
- Oak Forest ES
- Fox Meadows ES
- Georgian Hills MS
- Kirby HS
- Carver HS
MSCS said the water at Hamilton K-8 is not at an operable level, so the school will remain closed on Tuesday.