Wake County public school students will not have school on Friday for a third straight day. To make up the missed time, some students will have class on Saturday, March 1, and others will lose a day of spring break as the district continues dealing with severe cold and snow.

According to an email from the district obtained by WRAL News, schools will be closed Friday due to inclement weather and bitterly cold temperatures.

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Snow rolled in on Wednesday throughout central North Carolina, causing icing on several roadways around the state, including in Wake County. State troopers told WRAL News more than 1,000 drivers crashed while on the roads on Wednesday, and one person was killed.

Becca Smith's children go to Athens Drive High School, and she doesn't mind that they will be at home for another day on Friday.

"It's just not worth the risk of one bus sliding on a back road or one child getting hurt," she said. "Our county is huge, and I think a lot of people don't realize how big Wake County is."

The district began canceling classes on Wednesday ahead of the storms arrival, a departure from how many districts handled the storm in asking students to learn remotely.

While Wake schools will be closed again Friday, Durham, Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Harnett counties will opt for remote learning.

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Through Thursday, Wake schools had used all snow days built in to the calendar, so students will have to make up Friday as follows:

  • Year-round calendar:
    • Track 1: Saturday, March 1
      • Track 2: Not in session on Feb. 21. No makeup day needed.
        • Track 3: Saturday, March 1
          • Track 4: Saturday, March 1
            • Track 4A (Track 4 Only): Monday, March 31
            • Traditional calendar: Monday, April 7.
              • Modified calendar: Monday, April 21
                • Wake Early College of Health Sciences, Wake Early College of Information and Biotechnologies, North Wake College & Career Academy, Vernon Malone College and Career Academy and Knightdale High: Friday, May 23
                  • Leadership Academies: Thursday, May 22
                    • Wake STEM: Thursday, May 22

                      While Kelly Mann, another parent in the district, said the make-up days are the right call, the need for make up days has her questioning previous moves to shut down schools.

                      "I can't imagine waking up and having a day where your children can absolutely be in school," she said. "Not this week, but you child can absolutely be in school, and you are losing income because they're not."

                      According to state law, North Carolina public schools need 1,025 instructional hours. Wake County Schools includes 1,062 hours in its traditional school calendar.

                      Wake County Schools’ current policy requires the district to use all of its extra time and work days before turning to virtual instruction.  The decision was made based on parent feed back following the return to the classrooms that were mostly virtual at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

                      Tamani Powell, Wake County schools' director of marketing and communications in the office of magnet and curriculum enhancement programs, told WRAL News they did not plan on shortening spring break for students if make up days were required.

                      However, the makeup days published Thursday would cut off a day of spring break for many students. Spring break for traditional calendar was scheduled for March 31 through April 7, with April 7 as a teacher work day. Now that will be the makeup day for Feb. 21 for students.

                      The school district said it may revisit the policy on virtual learning days in the future.