12 News Latest School Closings and Delays

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Arizona weather can be unpredictable—ranging from intense monsoon flooding in the Valley to heavy winter snow in the High Country. When conditions turn hazardous, 12 News (KPNX) provides the most up-to-date information on school closings and delays across the state.

Current School Closings and Delays Status

How to Check 12 News School Closings

To ensure you have the latest information before the first bell rings, use these 12 News resources:

The 12News Closing Dashboard: Bookmark the 12News Closings & Delays page for a real-time list of every reported school, charter, and university status.
12News+ App: Available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV, the 12News+ app streams “Today in AZ” live, where anchors announce new delays every few minutes.
Mobile Alerts: Download the 12News KPNX app and toggle on “Breaking News” and “Weather” alerts to get school updates sent directly to your phone.

Why Arizona Schools Close

Unlike the Northeast, Arizona’s “snow days” are often actually “flood days” or “heat days.” Here are the primary reasons 12 News tracks closures:

Flash Flooding: During the Monsoon season or heavy winter rains, washes can overflow, making bus routes through the West Valley (like Tonopah or Buckeye) or rural areas impassable.
High Country Snow: Districts like Flagstaff Unified (FUSD) or Prescott often face “Snow Days” or 2-hour delays to allow snowplows to clear residential streets.
Extreme Heat: In rare cases of power outages during triple-digit heatwaves, schools may close to ensure student safety.
Declining Enrollment/Budgeting: Note that 12 News also tracks permanent school closures. Recently, districts like Roosevelt and Kyrene have made headlines for closing specific campuses due to demographic shifts.

Pro-Tip: If your district isn’t listed on the 12 News ticker, check your school’s specific social media or automated calling system, as many Arizona districts notify parents directly before contacting the news media.

Understanding the Status

2-Hour Delay: School starts two hours later; no morning preschool or kindergarten is usually held.
Closed: All classes and after-school activities (sports/clubs) are canceled.
eLearning Day: Buildings are closed, but students are expected to complete assignments via Google Classroom or Canvas.

Get the latest school closings, cancellations, and delays. View school closures for Arizona from 12 News. Local news, weather, traffic, sports events and more from 12NEWS KPNX in Phoenix, Arizona.

KPNX, virtual and VHF digital channel 12, is an NBC-affiliated television station serving Phoenix, Arizona, United States that is licensed to Mesa. The station is owned by Tegna Inc. KPNX’s studios are located at the Republic Media building on Van Buren Street in downtown Phoenix. -Wikipedia