Star City School District officials say hazardous road conditions caused by a recent winter storm continue to impact school operations, with closures potentially extending until conditions significantly improve.
In a message to families and staff, Superintendent Jordan Frizzell explained that the storm’s impact was worsened by widespread sleet accumulation across Star City and surrounding rural areas. Unlike snow, sleet compacts more densely on roadways and requires higher temperatures to melt, creating especially dangerous travel conditions.
Although temperatures have warmed slightly over the past several days, Frizzell said many neighborhood streets and county roads remain slick, rutted, and unsafe—particularly side roads and rural routes where many students and staff live.
“Ensuring the safety of our students, families, and staff continues to be our top priority,” Frizzell said. “Because of these conditions, school closures may need to continue until we see meaningful and widespread improvement to road conditions.”
District officials emphasized they recognize the importance of returning students to the classroom, noting that face-to-face instruction, consistent routines, and extracurricular activities such as athletics, fine arts, and student organizations play a vital role in academic success and overall well-being.
The district also reminded families that five inclement weather days are built into the school calendar to minimize disruptions. If closures exceed those days, additional make-up days would be scheduled at a later time, with families notified in advance.
Frizzell acknowledged the challenges extended closures place on families and said decisions are not made lightly.
“Our goal remains to return students to the classroom and resume extracurricular activities as quickly as possible, once conditions allow us to do so safely and responsibly,” he said.
Families are encouraged to monitor the district’s official social media pages for continued updates as weather and road conditions evolve.
