Dallas ISD, Frisco ISD, Richardson ISD and Other North Texas Districts Extend School Closures Into Thursday as Ice Lingers

A wave of DFW school closures is rolling into a fourth straight day for many families, even as temperatures climb above freezing. On Thursday, January 29, 2026 (ET), several of the region’s largest districts are keeping campuses closed, pointing to a familiar winter-storm problem: highways may look better, but neighborhood streets, shaded sidewalks, parking lots, and bus routes remain unevenly iced over.

The result is a patchwork: some districts reopen while others stay dark, leaving parents juggling work, childcare, and shifting plans with only hours of notice.

Dallas ISD school closure and other major districts closed Thursday, January 29 (ET)

District notices issued Wednesday afternoon and evening (ET) confirm that classes are canceled Thursday for a cluster of large North Texas systems, including:

• Dallas ISD

• Frisco ISD

• Richardson ISD

• Plano ISD

• McKinney ISD

• Prosper ISD

• Lewisville ISD

• Denton ISD

• Northwest ISD

A common theme runs through the explanations: even if main roads improve, districts can’t safely run transportation when buses must navigate residential streets, and when many students rely on walking routes that cross slick sidewalks, apartment complexes, and shaded areas that refreeze overnight.

Fort Worth ISD and other districts reopening: why the map looks uneven

Not every district is closed. Fort Worth ISD is operating on a normal schedule Thursday (ET), reflecting how conditions can vary widely across the Metroplex. Some communities have more sun exposure, faster treatment of roads, or fewer lingering trouble spots around campuses and bus yards.

This uneven reopening isn’t indecision as much as geography and logistics. Large districts can cover sprawling areas where one “bad pocket” can force a full closure because a single unsafe cluster of routes can disrupt the entire transportation tier system.

Behind the headline: why “the storm is over” doesn’t mean school is back

The storm’s second act is what shuts schools down: melt-and-refreeze cycles. When daytime temperatures rise just enough to soften ice, water runs into low spots and shaded areas. Then temperatures dip again overnight, turning slush into a thin, hard glaze that’s tougher to see and easier to slip on.

School districts also have a different safety threshold than commuters. It’s one thing for an adult to choose whether to drive; it’s another to move thousands of students on buses, on foot, and through crowded drop-off lanes where a single skid can become a pileup. Add staffing reality—many employees commute long distances—and a district can’t open if it can’t reliably staff campuses.

Stakeholders and incentives shape these calls:

• Superintendents carry the downside risk of a serious accident far more than the upside of one extra day of instruction.

• Parents absorb immediate costs in missed work and childcare, increasing pressure for clearer, earlier calls.

• Teachers and staff face commute risk and childcare strain of their own.

• Local governments and emergency managers care about reducing traffic during the most dangerous morning window.

Second-order effects are already building: closures disrupt meal programs, special education services, athletics schedules, and testing calendars, and they also concentrate traffic into fewer open districts and childcare centers.

What we still don’t know: Friday plans, make-up days, and activities

The biggest unanswered question is Friday, January 30 (ET). Several districts have signaled they expect to resume normal operations Friday if conditions cooperate, but the final call depends on overnight temperatures and how much melting actually occurs Thursday.

Other unresolved pieces to watch:

• After-school activities and athletics: Many districts decide these separately, sometimes campus-by-campus.

• Make-up time: Some districts can absorb a missed day with built-in instructional minutes, while others must schedule make-up days later in the spring.

• Transportation readiness: Even when buildings are safe, bus yards, fueling access, and route clearance can delay reopening.

What happens next: realistic scenarios for Thursday night into Friday (ET)

1. Most districts reopen Friday

   • Trigger: sustained above-freezing temps, improved neighborhood roads, and reduced refreeze overnight.

2. Another round of closures or delays Friday

   • Trigger: refreezing in shaded areas, lingering ice at campuses, or bus-route bottlenecks that can’t be cleared in time.

3. Targeted campus adjustments

   • Trigger: a district reopens broadly but restricts certain sites, routes, or programs that remain unsafe.

4. Calendar changes announced next week

   • Trigger: districts total missed minutes and decide whether to activate bad-weather days or extend instructional time.

For families asking “is there school tomorrow,” the practical reality is that district-by-district updates remain the only reliable answer in a week like this. If you tell me which district and city you’re in, I can summarize the current status for that specific system and what it has signaled about Friday (ET).