The winter freeze that has gripped North Texas this week is starting to thaw, but it’s creating a patchwork of school reopenings across the region as districts grapple with lingering ice and safety concerns.
Four major districts — Fort Worth, Arlington, Carroll, and Mesquite ISDs — reopened their doors Thursday, January 29, 2026, while several others remained shuttered as officials assessed road conditions and transportation safety. The decisions highlight the complex calculus school administrators face when balancing educational continuity against student safety.
In Fort Worth, district officials took extraordinary measures to ensure bus transportation would run smoothly. The district had its 200 bus drivers arrive two hours early to warm vehicles and prepare for potential challenges on icy routes.
“Thanking them for coming in to help pick up our kids, letting them know that there’s a sketchy area on their route and it looks like they can’t navigate it, to call in to dispatch so that way we can figure out an alternative route for them,” a district official explained. “And we’re reiterating that it’s all about their safety and it’s all about students’ safety.”
Safety Concerns Keep Many Districts Closed
Meanwhile, at least ten other major districts opted to remain closed Thursday, including Dallas, Keller, Frisco, Garland, Lewisville, Plano, Richardson, Northwest, Mansfield, and Terrell ISDs. The primary concerns? Icy roads and transportation safety, particularly in residential areas where buses might struggle to navigate safely.
Mansfield ISD officials determined they couldn’t get buses out safely, while Terrell ISD reported persistent ice on roads and overpasses throughout their service area.
How bad is the situation in some districts? Bad enough that Argyle and Lewisville ISDs extended their closures specifically citing hazardous conditions in neighborhoods and parking lots. Argyle went further by canceling all after-school activities, while Lewisville is handling extracurriculars on a case-by-case basis.
The region’s largest district, Dallas ISD, also kept its doors closed Thursday despite some improvement in conditions. Crews have been working to clear walkways and parking lots, but officials decided caution was the better part of valor.
“Out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the safety of students, Dallas ISD will remain closed, Thursday, Jan. 29,” the district announced on its website. This extends what has already been a significant disruption, as Dallas schools have been closed since January 26.
Makeup Days Looming
The extended closures aren’t just inconvenient — they’re creating a scheduling headache. Districts like Dallas ISD will need to schedule makeup days to meet state-mandated instructional time requirements. Parents are already bracing for potential extensions to the school year or converted holidays.
The split between districts reopening and those remaining closed reflects the varied impact of the winter storm across North Texas. What’s safe in one area might remain treacherous just a few miles away, particularly in neighborhoods with less traffic and more shade where ice can linger.
For parents and students across the region, the patchwork of decisions means continued uncertainty. Many are checking district websites and social media accounts hourly, waiting for updates about Friday classes as temperatures slowly rise but overnight freezes remain possible.
The winter storm has disrupted more than just classroom time — athletic competitions, academic events, and college application deadlines have all been affected, creating a scheduling nightmare that will take weeks to untangle.
As one district official put it off the record: the ice will melt long before the paperwork is done.
