COURTLAND
Southampton County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Alvera Parrish has announced that all schools in the district will be closed on Tuesday.

“When making a decision on a closure, we first have staff go and check out the roads,” Parrish said. “We then talk to the Virginia Department of Transportation, who give us an assessment. Even though we are nearby other schools [that may remain open], we have a large rural area and many secondary roads that are still just a sheet of ice. In terms of buses, it would be difficult to travel down those narrow secondary roads.”

Overnight temperatures will drop to near freezing, which also factors into the closure, the superintendent said.

“Safety is of the highest priorities for our students and staff,” Parrish said. “When you’re talking about the lives of each of our children, it’s best that we make this decision.”