Back to Class: How Wylie ISD Prepared After Snow Days
Contributed story, adapted from coverage by KTXS and reporter Kayla Hamlett
Abilene, Texas — After several snow days across the Big Country, students are back in classrooms, and at Wylie ISD, the return didn’t happen by accident. It was the result of early mornings, careful planning, and a district-wide focus on keeping students safe.
As conditions improved and campuses reopened, Superintendent Joey Light said safety guided every decision along the way.
“At this point, I don’t think we need to have a need to make anything up,” Light said, referring to the district’s instructional calendar.
(KTXS Reporter Kayla Hamlett - Wylie High Parking Lot)
Wylie ISD students missed three days of school and returned Thursday with a late start. District leaders say the calendar was built with flexibility in mind long before winter weather arrived.
“As of right now, we have an off balance built into our calendar,” Light explained. “We generally build in enough for two days, which is 840 minutes, and then anything after that we would have to apply for a waiver.”
But preparation went well beyond the calendar.
Staff members were already on campuses Wednesday and early Thursday morning, clearing snow and ice from sidewalks, entryways, and parking lots to ensure safe arrival for students, staff, and teen drivers.
“It was really slick in some areas,” Light said. “A lot of the major roads were cleared, but we also had some issues in our parking lots. Staff worked on the entryways, and I was out there clearing paths as well. Everybody needs to be safe.”
Transportation plans were also adjusted as conditions improved. Buses gradually returned to normal operations once daylight and road visibility increased.
“Driving a bus is difficult under ideal circumstances,” Light said. “If it’s dark and there are ice patches, it’s even more challenging. We wanted the sun to be out so everyone could see what was going on, and we felt like that was the safest situation for our students.”
After several days away from campus, the return to classrooms brought a sense of normalcy back to Wylie ISD.
It was a reminder that while snow may pause the school day, planning, teamwork, and care for students never stop. And that’s one more reason it’s great to be a Wylie Bulldog.