The superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools makes the final call on closing schools for bad weather, after district staff check roads, buildings and the forecast and make a recommendation. When JCPS closes, it can call a traditional snow day with no schoolwork or a Non Traditional Instruction day, known as NTI, when students work from home and the day counts. JCPS's inclement weather page says the superintendent may use up to ten NTI days or "cancel school completely."
Last winter, Louisville families got all three in ten days: snow days, then NTI days, then a two hour delay, then another NTI day. The JCPS pages, state law and district plan below were checked October 31, 2026.
Who decides whether JCPS closes?
The superintendent does, currently Dr. Brian Yearwood. The inclement weather page says staff consult the National Weather Service, drive "through all areas of the city before students arrive at bus stops," check snow and ice at schools, monitor heating systems and watch traffic with Louisville Metro Government. Then "JCPS staff makes a recommendation to the superintendent, who makes the final decision to close schools."
JCPS publishes no snowfall or temperature trigger. Last winter, side streets drove the calls. When JCPS moved to NTI on January 28 and 29, 2026, the district said main roads were "in good shape" but "many side streets and neighborhood roads across the county remain hazardous," according to its announcement as reported by WLKY.
When does JCPS announce a weather decision?
JCPS's Bad Weather and NTI Plan page says weather decisions "will generally be made by 5 a.m. on school days." That line sits in a January 11, 2023 news release that is still posted on the page.
Last winter, four of the five weather calls came the day before. JCPS called the January 26 and 27 snow days on the afternoon of Sunday, January 25. It announced NTI for January 28 and 29 by the morning of January 27, NTI for January 30 on the afternoon of January 29, and the February 2 delay on the afternoon of Sunday, February 1. Those times come from local TV coverage of each call: WHAS11 on the snow days, WLKY on the first NTI days, WHAS11 on the January 30 NTI day and WAVE on the delay. The February 4 NTI day followed Tuesday night snow. WAVE's story on it appeared early that Wednesday morning.
JCPS posts closings on its website homepage, Facebook and X, and sends them through its Apptegy text and email alerts, the inclement weather page says. Local TV and radio carry them too. If you aren't getting the texts or emails, call your child's school to make sure it has your current phone number and email.
What is an NTI day?
An NTI day is a school day held at home. Kentucky law, KRS 158.070, lets the state education commissioner grant a district "up to the equivalent of ten (10) student attendance days" when the district has an approved NTI plan and closes "for health or safety reasons."
The Kentucky Department of Education's NTI Guidance Document spells out what that means for families:
NTI days "are considered instructional days," and every student in kindergarten through 12th grade must participate.
An NTI day has to be a full attendance day. KDE does not allow half days.
Districts decide locally what counts as participation, but it should include at least one of four methods: a one on one call or video with the teacher, a group call or video, time logged into the learning system doing assignments, or turned in paper work.
JCPS's own NTI plan says "Participation will be recorded for all students and staff on NTI days." When JCPS used NTI last January, district leaders said that participation counts toward attendance, according to Spectrum News 1.
What does your child actually do on an NTI day?
Short NTI stretches are self paced, with no live class. JCPS's NTI plan for the 2026 to 2027 school year, signed by Yearwood December 23, 2025 and posted with the school board's records, says "Short Term NTI will be asynchronous with teacher availability through office hours." The district's family letter on its NTI page says students "will not be receiving live, online instruction from a teacher."
Under the plan, teachers prepare three to five days of weather NTI lessons in advance. Work runs mainly through Google Classroom, with district apps reached through Clever, the single sign on students already use. If an NTI stretch lasts longer than that, teachers build more lessons during their planning time.
Each school sends its own NTI plan through its usual messaging platform. That's where your child's assignments and teacher office hours will be.
The district plan sets a faster timeline so every school's plan is ready before Thanksgiving Break. Ask for yours, including when the NTI day starts, before the first cold snap.
What if you don't have internet or a working Chromebook?
Paper is the backup. The JCPS plan says students with limited internet get paper options, and that paper packets and workbooks "are made available at emergency food sites or mailed directly to homes." It says every school keeps loaner devices for a Chromebook that's damaged or left at home.
The plan also says any JCPS student can get a 200GB data hotspot through T Mobile's Project 10Million, offered through Youth Service Centers and school counselors. If home internet is the problem, start there.
When bad weather is coming, students may bring home materials and a charged device. That doesn't mean NTI has been called, the district's letter says.
Does NTI still cover IEPs and 504 plans?
Yes. KDE says IEP accommodations "need to continue to be met" on NTI days, and 504 plans continue too. The JCPS plan says special education teachers will work toward each student's IEP goals and document what they provide, and that students get the accommodations in their IEPs and 504 plans "to the greatest extent possible."
KDE also says NTI days count as school days for special education timelines, including the 60 school day window to evaluate a child after a parent consents. A string of NTI days does not pause that clock.
Does JCPS do 2 hour delays?
Rarely, but it does. The district's family letter says, "we do not plan to have early dismissal or delays, except in very rare circumstances." JCPS still used a two hour delay on Monday, February 2, 2026, its first in person day after the storm, so students could wait at bus stops and walk to school in daylight, according to a JCPS post.
Schools that normally start at 7:30 a.m., 8:40 a.m. and 9:40 a.m. started two hours later, at 9:30, 10:40 and 11:40. Dismissal didn't move, so the school day was shorter. Early Childhood classes were canceled that day, and after school athletics and activities stayed on schedule.
Those three start times are still the main JCPS bell times for the 2026 to 2027 school year, WAVE reported in August. JCPS has not posted a standing delay schedule, so check the announcement when a delay is called.
What happens to preschool, CEP and sports?
Each program follows its own rule:
Early Childhood classes are canceled when JCPS cancels school completely and move to NTI when the district moves to NTI, the inclement weather page says.
The district's Child Enrichment Program, or CEP, snow sites operate when schools close. Call 502 485 3834 or 502 637 1575 for details. Last winter, JCPS told families that YMCA CEP would notify them of any changes.
When school is canceled, after school activities and practices are canceled, but "athletic and academic tournaments may still be held," the inclement weather page says. Contact your child's coach or sponsor. On NTI days, the district's NTI page says all before and after school activities are canceled.
Will snow days add days to the end of the year?
Traditional snow days can. NTI days don't. Each of JCPS's NTI announcements last winter said NTI days "will not extend the school calendar," including its February 4 post.
The 2026 to 2027 JCPS Parent Family School Calendar sets Monday, May 24, 2027 as the last scheduled day for students. It lists six makeup days: May 25, May 26, May 27, May 28, June 1 and June 2. Memorial Day, May 31, is a no school day. Our JCPS calendar guide has every date.
The school board can also forgive snow days. In February 2025, the board voted to forgive four snow days and approve one makeup day, moving the last day to May 23, 2025, WAVE reported. Last school year, JCPS had called three snow days by March 10, 2026, and said the board was expected to vote on forgiving them, according to a district release.
Bus questions in winter weather, including who rides, get their own JCPS Insider guide in December.
For other weather questions, the JCPS main line listed on the district's inclement weather page is 502 313 4357.