As the remnants of Hurricane Helene bore down on Central Kentucky Friday, wind gusts reached 50 to 60 mph, and residents statewide reported downed trees and power outages. Many schools shut down, or like state and city governments, opted for early dismissal.
Fayette County Public Schools in Lexington was the exception, only canceling after school activities. That decision prompted online criticism from families, some of whom said their children were sitting at school in the dark.
Just after 6:30 p.m. Friday, Fayette Superintendent Demetrus Liggins sent families a message explaining why he kept schools open. “The decision to close school is never an easy one,” Liggins said.
“With more than 42,000 students and 9,000 employees in our district, it impacts the entire community when we change our school schedule. We have heard loud and clear from our families that they want us to maximize the time our students have in the classroom,” Liggins said.
Liggins said he carefully weighed the potentially negative impacts of closing against the possible downsides of remaining open.