Indianapolis, IN
Here’s which schools are closed or on a delay as extreme cold continues Tuesday
Take a snow day with IndyStar (and pups) as we hit the sledding hill
Here’s how IndyStar’s Madyson Crane spent the snow day on Monday, with guest appearances from 4-legged friends Freya and Lucy.
This article will be updated.
Students throughout the region were scheduled for a three-day weekend in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, and time at home could continue into Tuesday as central Indiana undergoes an extreme cold snap.
Conditions will be treacherous for young ones heading out to school on foot, and buses may have a hard time navigating hardened ice on Indianapolis’ unplowed residential roads.
The National Weather Service predicts a high temperature of only 7 degrees and with wind chill values dipping as low as -11 degrees.
On Friday, leadership from at least three area school districts notified parents that students should take home school-provided devices for the weekend in case classes move to an E-Learning day Tuesday.
There isn’t a specific temperature threshold that schools use to close during extreme cold, but guidelines issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration give districts administrators a point of reference.
If air temperatures are -10 degrees or colder at 6 a.m., schools may consider delaying their start time by two hours, according to the NOAA guidelines.
A two-hour delay would also be considered if wind chill brings temperatures below -19 degrees at 6 a.m. If wind chill remains at -19 degrees or cooler by 9 a.m., schools may close.
Schools also look at road conditions and risks to students’ health. The Indianapolis Public School’s general weather guidelines note that school will be delayed or canceled if conditions could lead to frostbite in 10 minutes or less. That’s not predicted to be the case Tuesday, though it will still be extremely cold, and experts recommend that all exposed skin is covered before heading outdoors.
Here is a list of what Central Indiana schools have announced as of Monday afternoon.
Avon Community School Corp.
No announcement.
Website: Avon Community School Corp.
Beech Grove City Schools
No announcement.
Website: Beech Grove City Schools
Bishop Chatard High School
No announcement.
Website: Bishop Chatard High School
Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School
No announcement.
Website: Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School
Brownsburg Community School Corp.
No announcement.
Website: Brownsburg Community School Corp.
Cardinal Ritter High School
No announcement.
Website: Cardinal Ritter High School
Carmel Clay Schools
Carmel Clay Schools will have a two-hour delay on Tuesday.
Website: Carmel Clay Schools
Cathedral High School
No announcement.
Website: Cathedral High School
Center Grove Community School Corp.
Center Grove Community School Corporation will open with a two-hour delay on Tuesday. There will be no morning preschool.
Website: Center Grove Community School Corp.
MSD Decatur Township Schools
No announcement.
Website: MSD Decatur Township Schools
Franklin Community Schools
Franklin Community Schools will operate with a two-hour delay on Tuesday.
Website: Franklin Community Schools
Franklin Township Community Schools
No announcement.
Website: Franklin Township Community Schools
Greenwood Community Schools
Greenwood Community Schools will open with a two hour delay on Tuesday.
Website: Greenwood Community Schools
Guerin Catholic High School
Guerin Catholic High School will operate with a two-hour delay on Tuesday. Zero period is cancelled. Mass will be offered at 9:45 a.m., and first period will begin at 10:30 a.m. Math League is moved to Thursday at 7:45 a.m.
Website: Guerin Catholic High School
Hamilton Southeastern Schools
Hamilton Southeastern will have a two hour delay on Tuesday. HSE Preschool and Academy morning classes are canceled.
Website: Hamilton Southeastern Schools
Heritage Christian School
No announcement.
Website: Heritage Christian School
Indianapolis Public Schools
No announcement.
Website: Indianapolis Public Schools
MSD Lawrence Township Schools
No announcement.
Website: MSD Lawrence Township Schools
Noblesville Schools
Noblesville Schools will open with a two-hour delay Tuesday.
Website: Noblesville Schools
Orchard School
No announcement.
Website: Orchard School
Park Tudor
No announcement.
Website: Park Tudor
Perry Township Schools
No announcement.
Website: Perry Township Schools
MSD Pike Township
No announcement.
Website: MSD Pike Township
Plainfield Community School Corp.
No announcement.
Website: Plainfield Community School Corp.
Roncalli High School
No announcement.
Website: Roncalli High School
Scecina Memorial High School
No announcement.
Website: Scecina Memorial High School
Speedway Schools
No announcement.
Website: Speedway Schools
St. Louis de Montfort Catholic School
No announcement.
Website: St. Louis de Montfort Catholic School
University High School
No announcement.
Website: University High School
MSD Washington Township Schools
No announcement.
Website: MSD Washington Township Schools
MSD Warren Township Schools
No announcement.
Website: MSD Warren Township Schools
MSD Wayne Township Schools
No announcement.
Website: MSD Wayne Township Schools
Westfield Washington Schools
Westfield Washington Schools will be on a two-hour delay Tuesday. TOTS, All Aboard and BAC will all open at 7:15 a.m., and Morning Developmental Preschool is canceled.
Website: Westfield Washington Schools
Zionsville Community Schools
Zionsville Community Schools will open with a two-hour delay on Tuesday.
Website: Zionsville Community Schools
Contact IndyStar K-12 education reporter Caroline Beck at 317-618-5807 or CBeck@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter (X): @CarolineB_Indy.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — It was another busy week in high school sports in central Indiana and ‘The Zone Extra’ has it all covered.
Athlete of the week and Guerin Catholic senior outfielder Ian Taylor is off to a scorching hot start to the young season. Check out his interview as well as Guerin Catholic head coach Dave Schrage talk about Taylor’s success.
The Johnson County baseball tournament came to a close. See highlights from Center Grove’s tournament victory.
The 4A baseball coaches poll was released as well as the 3A softball coaches poll.
The former Columbus North gymnastics coach, John Hinds, passed away at 88 years old.
Center Grove head softball coach Alyssa Coleman joins the show for a coaches corner conversation.
See highlights from the Colts Local Pro Day, featuring several former Hoosiers and Purdue’s Devin Mockobee.
Girls lacrosse is in the first season as an IHSAA emerging sport.
All of that, and more, can be found in the full The Zone Extra show above.
(WISH) — A tornado watch was issued until 3 a.m. EDT Saturday for counties northwest and west of Indianapolis, and into Illinois.
Indiana counties in the watch area are Boone, Carroll, Cass, Clay, Clinton, Elkhart, Fountain, Fulton, Howard, Kosciusko, La Porte, Marshall, Miami, Montgomery, Parke, Pulaski, Putnam, St. Joseph, Starke, Tippecanoe, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Warren and White. The watch area includes the cities of Crawfordsville, Elkhart, Lafayette, Lebanon, South Bend, Terre Haute, and West Lafayette.
The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has issued two watches in Indiana. The other one until midnight EDT Friday includes the Indiana counties of Benton, Jasper, Lake, Newton and Porter. That includes the city of Gary. That watch also extends into Illinois.
Storms on Friday night in central Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Minnesota led to dozens of confirmed tornado warnings. The storms in central Illinois has gusts up to 80 mph, and tornadoes embedded in heavy rain.
An alert issued after 10:30 p.m. Friday from the National Weather Service at Indianapolis said, “A line of strong thunderstorms is nearing the state line with a history of widespread damaging winds and tornadoes. The line is expected to continue to produce damaging winds as it moves into Indiana with the potential for additional tornadoes. The line is then expected to gradually weaken as it moves further into the state.”
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Athenaeum in downtown Indianapolis is getting ready to welcome spring with its annual St. Benno Festival this Saturday.
Organizers say it’s one of the longest-running cultural festivals in Indianapolis.
St. Benno Festival is based on the German tradition of “Frühlingsfest,” the springtime version of Oktoberfest, Athenaeum Foundation President Craig Mince says.
“It would always be the festival that would open up the beer garden,” Mince said. “So that was kind of their kickoff of the spring and that warmer season. “
The Athenaeum’s celebration focuses on St. Benno, the patron saint of anglers and the city of Munich, Germany.
There’s a lot of folklore surrounding St. Benno. He’s said to have created Bach beer. He also had a sidekick, “Einbeck,” which means “billy goat” in German.
Legend has it that when the invaders were coming to Munich, he threw the key to a church into a body of water. Years later, he caught a fish that had eaten the key and retrieved it.
“When the German immigrants came here to central Indiana, Indianapolis in particular, they started to organize,” Mince said. “They celebrated Benno. They celebrated Bach beer. So that was kind of the beginning of this institution.”
St. Benno Fest will include lots of beer, pretzels, and Gomez BBQ’s doner kebab.
Francene Thomas, the Athenaeum’s event and festivals manager, says there’s a lot of thought that goes into the menu.
“We want to definitely bring the tradition of this festival and continue that, but also, just bring some fresh flavor to it, too.”
The celebration serves as a fundraiser for the Athenaeum. Money raised will go back into maintenance and other events that promote German culture.
Tickets are $25 and can be bought in advance on the Athenaeum website. St. Benno Fest is a 21+ event and runs from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
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