Knox County School Closings Today — Live Status & Delays (Tennessee)

Are Knox County schools closed today? Check live status below — updated every 10 minutes.

Live status monitored for Knox County Schools, Sevier County Schools, Blount County Schools, and Anderson County Schools.

## How Knox County Schools Announces Closings

Knox County Schools (KCS) posts closure, delay, and early-dismissal decisions on its official website, knoxschools.org, and through the district’s Severe Weather Info page. Families enrolled in the district’s ParentSquare notification system receive closure alerts directly by app, text, or email as soon as a decision is made. KCS has historically made these calls on a district-wide basis rather than school-by-school — when winter weather closes schools, the entire system typically closes together rather than individual campuses staying open.

Announcement timing varies with the type of event. For overnight winter storms, KCS Superintendent Jon Rysewyk has said the district often waits to see how much snow actually falls before deciding, sometimes announcing as late as the morning of a closure day; for storms with a clearer forecast, or for flash-flood risk from heavy overnight rain, the district has announced closures the evening before. Local TV stations WBIR-TV (Channel 10, NBC), WATE-TV (Channel 6, ABC), and WVLT-TV (Channel 8, CBS) all maintain closings pages that mirror official district announcements and are typically updated within minutes of a decision. Sevier County Schools, Blount County Schools, and Anderson County Schools each announce independently through their own district websites and the same local TV stations, since a single winter storm can affect all four systems differently depending on elevation and road conditions.

## Weather Risks That Affect School Schedules in Knox County

• Winter ice storms and snow: East Tennessee’s hilly terrain and limited de-icing equipment mean even a light glaze of ice can make roads unsafe, especially on the ridges and hollows outside the Knoxville city core. Ice storms are the single most common cause of multi-day closures in the region.
• Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes: Spring and early summer bring the Tennessee Valley’s peak severe weather season, with damaging straight-line winds, large hail, and occasional tornadoes that can prompt early dismissals or closures tied to National Weather Service warnings.
• Flash flooding: Heavy overnight rainfall in already-saturated conditions has closed Knox County Schools district-wide in past years, particularly along low-lying roads near the Tennessee River and its tributaries.
• Extreme summer heat: High heat and humidity in late August and September can trigger early dismissals at schools without full air conditioning in certain buildings, particularly during the first weeks of the school year.
• Elevation-driven road conditions: Districts closer to the Great Smoky Mountains foothills, including Sevier County Schools, can see winter road conditions that differ significantly from the Knoxville valley floor, sometimes closing while lower-elevation districts remain open.
• Dense valley fog: Low-lying fog in the Tennessee River valley can reduce visibility sharply during the morning bus-route window, occasionally prompting delayed starts even without other severe weather present.

## Frequently Asked Questions

How early does Knox County Schools announce school closures?

Knox County Schools typically announces closures either the evening before an event with a clear forecast, or early in the morning — sometimes as late as 5:30 to 6 a.m. — when the district is waiting to see actual snow accumulation before deciding. Announcements go out via the district website, ParentSquare notifications, and local TV and radio.

What’s the difference between a closure and a delay in Knox County?

A closure means schools are not in session for the day. A delayed start pushes the beginning of the school day back by a set number of hours (commonly one or two) to allow road crews more time to treat icy or snow-covered roads before buses run, with the rest of the school day following its normal schedule from the later start time.

Do all Knox County schools close at the same time, or can individual schools close separately?

Knox County Schools has historically made closure decisions district-wide rather than school by school — when the district closes for weather, all KCS schools close together. Neighboring districts covered on this page, including Sevier, Blount, and Anderson County Schools, each make their own separate district-wide decisions, so it’s possible for one county’s schools to close while a neighboring county’s stay open.

Which local TV stations report Knox County school closings?

WBIR-TV (Channel 10, NBC), WATE-TV (Channel 6, ABC), and WVLT-TV (Channel 8, CBS) are the primary Knoxville-market TV stations that report school closings and delays. This page automatically monitors all three alongside official district websites for the fastest possible detection.

How often is this page updated?

Status checks run automatically every 15 minutes under normal conditions, or every 5 minutes during active weather alerts, pulling directly from official district sources, local TV station feeds, and National Weather Service data.

Why do Knox County Schools closures sometimes get decided so early in the morning?

Because winter storms in East Tennessee can be hard to predict precisely — a few miles or a few degrees can be the difference between rain and accumulating snow — Knox County Schools has said it sometimes waits overnight to see how much snow actually falls before making a call, rather than committing to a decision the evening before based on forecast alone.

## School Roster

### Knox County Schools

52 elementary schools operate district-wide; the 30 largest/most prominent are listed below. Full current roster: knoxschools.org/schools/elementary-schools

**High Schools**

• Austin-East Magnet High School
• Bearden High School
• Career Magnet Academy
• Carter High School
• Central High School
• Dr. Paul L. Kelley Volunteer Academy
• Farragut High School
• Fulton High School
• Gibbs High School
• Halls High School
• Hardin Valley Academy
• Karns High School
• Knox County Virtual School
• L&N STEM Academy
• Powell High School
• Richard Yoakley School
• South-Doyle High School
• West High School

**Middle Schools**

• Bearden Middle School
• Carter Middle School
• Cedar Bluff Middle School
• Farragut Middle School
• Gibbs Middle School
• Gresham Middle School
• Halls Middle School
• Hardin Valley Middle School
• Holston Middle School
• Knoxville Adaptive Education Center (K.A.E.C.)
• Karns Middle School
• Knox County Virtual School
• Northwest Middle School
• Powell Middle School
• Ridgedale School
• South-Doyle Middle School
• Vine Middle School
• West Valley Middle School
• Whittle Springs Middle School

**Elementary Schools**

• Adrian Burnett Elementary
• A.L. Lotts Elementary
• Amherst Elementary
• Ball Camp Elementary School
• Bearden Elementary School
• Beaumont Magnet Academy
• Belle Morris Elementary School
• Blue Grass Elementary
• Bonny Kate Elementary School
• Brickey-McCloud Elementary
• Carter Elementary School
• Cedar Bluff Elementary
• Chilhowee Intermediate
• Christenberry Elementary School
• Copper Ridge Elementary School
• Corryton Elementary School
• Dogwood Elementary
• East Knox County Elementary School
• Farragut Intermediate School
• Farragut Primary School
• Fountain City Elementary School
• Gap Creek Elementary School
• Gibbs Elementary School
• Green Magnet Academy
• Halls Elementary School
• Hardin Valley Elementary
• Inskip Elementary School
• Karns Elementary School
• Knox County Virtual School
• Lonsdale Elementary School

### Sevier County Schools

Sevier County Schools operates 31 schools district-wide (~15,000 students). Only individually name-confirmed schools are listed below; full roster not independently verified in this pass. Verify at sevier.org

**High Schools**

• Sevier County High School
• Gatlinburg-Pittman High School
• Seymour High School
• Gary Hardin Academy

### Blount County Schools

**High Schools**

• Heritage High School
• William Blount High School

**Middle Schools**

• Carpenters Middle School
• Union Grove Middle School
• Heritage Middle School

**Elementary Schools**

• Carpenters Elementary
• Eagleton Elementary
• Fairview Elementary
• Friendsville Elementary
• Lanier Elementary School
• Mary Blount Elementary School
• Middlesettlements Elementary School
• Montvale Elementary
• Porter Elementary
• Prospect Elementary
• Rockford Elementary
• Townsend Elementary
• Union Grove Elementary
• Walland Elementary

### Anderson County Schools

Only Clinton High School was individually name-confirmed as a high school; other high-school-level offerings not independently verified in this pass. Verify at acs.ac

**High Schools**

• Clinton High School

**Middle Schools**

• Clinton Middle School
• Lake City Middle School
• Norris Middle School
• Norwood Middle School

**Elementary Schools**

• Andersonville Elementary School
• Briceville Elementary School
• Claxton Elementary School
• Dutch Valley Elementary School
• Fairview Elementary School
• Grand Oaks Elementary School
• Lake City Elementary School
• Norris Elementary School
• Norwood Elementary School