A winter storm that glazed portions of Central Texas over the weekend continues to ripple through classrooms and campuses. With icy spots lingering on roads and bridges, many districts and colleges announced closures or delays for Tuesday, Jan. 27, to keep buses and commuters off slick routes.

Major systems from Austin ISD to The University of Texas at Austin adjusted schedules, while others opted for delayed starts as crews worked to assess conditions and thaw stubborn patches of ice.

What changed for Tuesday

Dozens of districts, charter schools, and colleges modified operations for Jan. 27 as travel remained risky in parts of the region. Fox7 Austin reported the following highlights:

  • Austin ISD: All schools and offices closed.
  • The University of Texas at Austin: Campus remains closed through Tuesday, Jan. 27.
  • Austin Community College: Closed.
  • Texas State University: San Marcos campus operating as normal; Round Rock campus delayed until noon.
  • Round Rock ISD: Classes and before- and after-school activities canceled.
  • Leander ISD: Schools and facilities closed.
  • Hays CISD: All schools closed.
  • Dripping Springs ISD: All campuses closed; district offices closed.
  • Eanes ISD: All campuses and district offices closed.
  • Del Valle ISD: Schools and offices closed.
  • Georgetown ISD: All campuses closed.
  • Manor ISD: Schools and offices remain closed.
  • Lockhart ISD: Two-hour delay.
  • Lexington ISD: Two-hour delayed start; buses two hours late.
  • San Marcos CISD: Two-hour delay.
  • Southwestern University: All classes canceled.
  • Huston-Tillotson University: Operating remotely Tuesday.

Other districts and campuses also closed because of hazardous road conditions, including Bartlett ISD, Blanco ISD, Burnet CISD, Elgin ISD, Florence ISD, Fredericksburg ISD, Hutto ISD, Jarrell ISD, Johnson City ISD, Lago Vista ISD, Lake Travis ISD, Lampasas ISD, Liberty Hill ISD, Llano ISD, Marble Falls ISD, Rockdale ISD, San Saba ISD, Taylor ISD, Texas State Technical College (Williamson County), and several private or charter campuses. Some systems canceled extracurricular activities as well. Fox7 Austin reported that Granger ISD planned to return to normal operations Wednesday, Jan. 28.

How districts make the call

Behind the flurry of alerts is a routine, multi-step process that starts long before dawn. District safety teams monitor weather models and road conditions, then confer with local officials to determine whether bus routes, bridges, and campuses are safe. That coordination includes county emergency management, meteorologists, and law enforcement, and often involves comparing notes with neighboring districts, according to KWTX.

Safety assessments don’t stop at the curb. Facilities staff check buildings for heat and water issues and confirm that campuses can operate normally. Their decisions weigh more than just the forecast: schools are also cornerstones for student well-being, providing warm spaces and meals, a factor leaders consider when closures stretch beyond a day, KWTX reports.

Importantly, temperature alone rarely shuts down a district. Operational decisions typically hinge on whether buses can travel safely, whether roads remain passable, or whether buildings can be heated and staffed—conditions that sometimes diverge even within the same region, according to LocalProfile. Transportation hazards, power or heating failures, and other safety risks are the triggers that most often lead to cancellations or delays.

Safety guidance for families

As closures ripple through morning routines, state officials urge residents to keep trips to a minimum until ice melts and bridges warm. The Texas Department of Public Safety advises Texans to prepare vehicles and travel plans for winter hazards and, when possible, to avoid driving on icy roads, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

If travel can’t be avoided, DPS recommends:

  • Check tires, antifreeze, wipers, and fuel levels before departure.
  • Slow down, increase following distance, and be especially cautious on bridges and overpasses.
  • Carry an emergency kit with blankets, water, snacks, a flashlight, and phone chargers.
  • Monitor forecasts and official updates; delay trips if conditions worsen.

These steps are designed to reduce crashes on slick roads and help drivers manage delays if they get stuck by closures or collisions, the Texas Department of Public Safety notes.

What it means for students and parents

A day off campus can ripple through households and workplaces. Districts often try to keep closures as short as possible because schools double as reliable sources of heat and daily meals for many students, a consideration superintendents weigh alongside transportation risks, according to KWTX. Families should watch district channels for updates on make-up days, meal service adjustments, and any remote learning plans where offered.

Transportation changes can also extend into the afternoon. With temperatures hovering near freezing in spots, bus routes may be altered and extracurriculars canceled to avoid late-day refreezing. Several districts noted activity cancellations in their Tuesday announcements, Fox7 Austin reported.

Even as conditions vary from one part of Central Texas to another, the broad aim is consistent: keep students and staff off dangerous roads while returning to normal as soon as it’s safe. Districts will continue monitoring forecasts and conferring with emergency officials, a cadence that often leads to early-morning decisions and rapid updates to families, according to KWTX. With crews treating trouble spots and a patchwork of delays and closures in place, Tuesday will be a wait-and-see day across the region—and a reminder that in winter, safety, not the thermometer, sets the school-day calendar, as LocalProfile explains.

This content has been submitted by authors outside of this publisher and is not its editorial product. It could contain opinions, facts, and points of view that have not been reviewed or accepted by the publisher. The content may have been created, in whole or in part, using artificial intelligence tools. Original Source →