Madison County schools closed Tuesday

School was snowed-out today, and superintendent Mitch McGhee has called off Tuesday classes.

Five of the seven school campuses had yet to regain power at the time of the announcement, which came at around 4 p.m. Monday.

“That, combined with a lot trees and wires (being) down on the back roads, and the fact that it’s going to get 21 degrees tonight, we’re going to go ahead and call it,” McGhee said. “So, no school tomorrow.”

Twelve-month employees may be asked to report tomorrow if the schools regain power.

Water on roads is expected to freeze tonight, creating a potentially dangerous situation for students on buses and those driving to school Tuesday morning.

“That thing will be icy like crazy tomorrow,” McGhee said.

Not only could ice be a problem on the roads, but at the school campuses, too.

“If it’s 21 degrees, there’s going to be sheets of ice as you walk into every school,” McGhee said. “You’d have people slipping and falling, too.”

McGhee spent Monday touring each of the seven campuses in the system and found no apparent structural damage.

“We don’t think so right now,” McGhee said.

However, several may lose food. Meat in coolers could go bad if the power outage remains.

“Right now, it’s holding up,” McGhee said. “If the power gets back on this evening, we’ll be alright. But if it goes into tomorrow, we’re probably going to lose a whole lot of food out of our coolers.”