The Perry County School District and Jenkins Independent School pushed the first day of classes to Thursday after severe weather forced both systems to scrap plans for a Wednesday opening. Students were told not to report to class on Wednesday, the day they had been set to start.
The announcement came on Tuesday, just as families were preparing for the new school year in Perry County and Jenkins Independent School. Both districts had originally planned to open on Wednesday, August 12, but the weather left the start of classes on hold for another day.
Jenkins Independent School said the problem was more than a calendar change. It reported homes without power, downed trees, debris blocking roadways and other storm-related hazards, saying those conditions made it unsafe to transport students at that time. The district added that it hated delaying the opening, but said safety for students, staff and families had to come first.
That is the friction behind the decision: the districts wanted to open on Wednesday, but the storm damage made a normal school day too risky to carry out. When roads are blocked and power is out in parts of the area, a first-day bell does not just mark a later start. It also means buses, families and school staff have to wait until the routes are clear and the system can run safely.
For now, Thursday is the new opening day for both districts. Whether the school delay holds again depends on conditions improving enough for travel and classrooms to operate without the hazards that stopped the first plan.
