Winter weather has once again thrown North Texas school districts into disarray, with multiple schools announcing closures extending through Wednesday as icy conditions persist on roads throughout the region.
Dallas ISD and Fort Worth ISD — the area’s two largest districts — have officially canceled classes for Wednesday, January 28, 2026, marking the third consecutive day of disruptions for thousands of students and families. The decision comes as temperatures struggled to climb above freezing Tuesday afternoon, leaving many residential streets dangerously slick despite main thoroughfares beginning to clear, officials confirmed.
How widespread are these closures? The list continues to grow. Northwest ISD announced its facilities would remain shuttered through Wednesday, citing hazardous conditions particularly on rural roads. “In the interest of student and staff safety, all Northwest ISD schools and facilities will remain closed and classes are canceled through Wednesday, Jan. 28,” the district stated in its official announcement.
Several other districts have followed suit. Carroll ISD, Denton ISD, Krum ISD, and Sanger ISD have all canceled Wednesday classes, according to announcements tracked by KERA News. Meanwhile, some districts are taking a wait-and-see approach, planning to assess road conditions after temperatures potentially rise above freezing later Tuesday.
Third Day of Disruptions
The winter storm has already forced widespread cancellations across the region on Monday and Tuesday. Districts including Aledo, Allen, Arlington, Frisco, Garland, McKinney and Plano either canceled in-person classes entirely or shifted to online learning during the first days of the week. Most cited that the safety of students and staff was their “number 1 priority” when making these decisions, as quoted in district communications.
Smaller institutions haven’t been spared either. UME Preparatory Academy closed all schools and offices on Tuesday due to the continuing inclement weather, according to a notice on their website.
For parents juggling work commitments and childcare, these extended closures present significant challenges. Many families had already exhausted their contingency plans after Monday’s closures, and now face potentially three consecutive days without school.
The timing is particularly difficult for high school students preparing for end-of-semester exams, with many districts likely to adjust testing schedules once classes resume. Teachers, meanwhile, are scrambling to rework lesson plans and accommodate for the lost instructional time.
Weather forecasts suggest conditions may improve by Thursday, though overnight refreezing remains a concern for transportation officials across the region. That’s left many districts in a difficult position — balancing safety concerns against mounting pressure to resume normal operations.
As North Texas families brace for another day of disruption, the question on everyone’s mind isn’t just when schools will reopen, but whether this winter storm might force districts to add makeup days later in the semester — potentially extending the school year for thousands of students across the region.
