Rankin County School Closings Today — Live Status (Mississippi)

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

Live status monitored for Rankin County School District, Jackson Public School District, Madison County School District, and Pearl Public School District.

How Rankin County School Closings Are Announced

Rankin County School District (RCSD), the largest and primary district covering Brandon, Florence, Flowood, McLaurin, Pelahatchie, Pisgah, Puckett, and Richland, posts closure and delay notices on its official website at rcsd.ms. The district also communicates directly with enrolled families through ParentSquare, its primary parent-notification platform, and shares announcements to local media the evening before when possible or as early as possible on the morning of a closure — families should expect updates before 6:00 AM on active weather mornings.

Neighboring districts covered on this page, including Jackson Public School District (jackson.k12.ms.us), Madison County School District (madison-schools.com), and Pearl Public School District (pearl.k12.ms.us), follow similar patterns, posting to their own district websites and notifying families through their respective messaging apps. Local television is also a fast, reliable source: WLBT 3 (NBC) at wlbt.com/weather/closings, 16 WAPT (ABC) at wapt.com/weather/closings, and WJTV 12 (CBS) at wjtv.com/weather/closings all maintain running closings lists during active weather events. This page checks all of these sources automatically so you don’t have to visit each one individually.

Weather Risks That Affect Rankin County School Closures

• Severe thunderstorms: Central Mississippi sits within an active severe-weather corridor, and strong storms with damaging straight-line winds or large hail can prompt early dismissals or delayed starts.
• Tornadoes: Rankin County lies within a tornado-prone part of the state, and confirmed tornado warnings during school hours can trigger shelter-in-place procedures or full closures the following day for cleanup.
• Flash flooding: Heavy rainfall, especially from slow-moving thunderstorm complexes or tropical moisture, can flood low-lying roads and bus routes across the district’s rural and semi-rural areas.
• Winter ice storms: True snow is rare, but freezing rain and ice accumulation on roads and bridges are the most common cause of multi-day winter closures, since the region has little de-icing equipment.
• Tropical storm remnants: During Atlantic hurricane season (June–November), the remnants of Gulf Coast tropical systems can move inland and bring damaging wind, heavy rain, and isolated tornadoes to central Mississippi.
• Extreme heat: Late-summer heat advisories can affect outdoor activities, athletics, and early dismissal decisions, particularly during the first weeks of the school year.

Frequently Asked Questions

How early does Rankin County School District announce school closures?

Rankin County School District (RCSD) aims to announce closings and delays as early as possible, ideally the evening before a forecast weather event or by early morning — typically before 6:00 AM — when a decision depends on overnight conditions. Announcements are posted at rcsd.ms and pushed through ParentSquare to enrolled families.

Is there a difference between a closure and a delay in Rankin County?

Yes. A closure cancels school entirely for the day, while a delay pushes back the start time (commonly one or two hours) to allow road crews more time to treat icy or flooded roads before buses run. RCSD and neighboring districts announce which type of change is in effect separately for each event.

Do all Rankin County-area districts close at the same time?

Not always. RCSD, Jackson Public Schools, Madison County Schools, and Pearl Public Schools are independent districts with separate boundaries and transportation routes, so one district may close or delay while a neighboring district stays open, depending on local road and weather conditions. Always confirm the status of your specific district rather than assuming a regional closure applies to all schools.

Which local TV stations report Rankin County school closings?

WLBT 3 (NBC), 16 WAPT (ABC), and WJTV 12 (CBS) are the primary Jackson-market television stations that maintain running school closings lists during active weather events. This page automatically monitors all three stations alongside official district websites.

How often is this page updated?

Status checks run automatically every 15 minutes under normal conditions, or every 5 minutes during active weather alerts, so the information reflects the most recent data available from district and news sources.

Why do Rankin County schools sometimes close when it barely snows?

Snow itself is uncommon in central Mississippi, but a thin layer of ice on roads and bridges can be more dangerous here than several inches of snow in a northern state, because the region has very little snow-and-ice removal equipment and many rural roads and bridges ice over first. Districts often close proactively rather than risk bus travel on untreated ice.

School Roster

Rankin County School District (RCSD)

High Schools

• Brandon High School
• Florence High School
• McLaurin High School
• Northwest Rankin High School
• Pelahatchie High School (Attendance Center)
• Pisgah High School
• Puckett High School
• Richland High School

Middle Schools

• Brandon Middle School
• Florence Middle School
• Northwest Rankin Middle School

Elementary Schools

• Brandon Elementary School
• Florence Elementary School
• Flowood Elementary School
• Highland Bluff Elementary School
• McLaurin Elementary School
• Northshore Elementary School
• Northwest Rankin Elementary School
• Oakdale Elementary School
• Pelahatchie Elementary School
• Pisgah Elementary School
• Puckett Elementary School
• Richland Elementary School
• Richland Upper Elementary School
• Rouse Elementary School
• Steen’s Creek Elementary School
• StoneBridge Elementary School

Jackson Public School District (JPS)

High Schools

• Callaway High School
• Forest Hill High School
• Jim Hill High School
• Lanier Junior Senior High School
• Murrah High School
• Provine High School
• Wingfield High School

Middle Schools

• Whitfield Middle School
• Bailey Alternative Programs Middle School
• Chastain Middle School
• Northwest Middle School
• Peeples Middle School
• Powell Middle School
• Rowan Middle School

Elementary Schools

• Baker Elementary School
• Galloway Elementary School
• McWillie Elementary School
• Barack Obama Magnet Elementary School
• Spann Elementary School
• Green Elementary School
• John Hopkins Elementary School
• Marshall Elementary School
• McLeod Elementary School
• Timberlawn Elementary School

JPS operates 36 schools total (6 high schools, 7 middle schools, 23 elementary schools, plus special-program schools); the elementary list above is partial — see the full directory at jackson.k12.ms.us.

Madison County School District (MCSD)

High Schools

• Madison Central High School
• Ridgeland High School
• Velma Jackson High School

Middle Schools

• Olde Towne Middle School
• Shirley D. Simmons Middle School

Elementary Schools

• Luther Branson Elementary School
• Camden Elementary School
• Highland Elementary School
• Ann Smith Elementary School

Madison County School District operates 23 campuses across four attendance zones; the elementary list above is partial — see the full directory at madison-schools.com.

Pearl Public School District (PPSD)

High Schools

• Pearl High School

Middle Schools

• Pearl Junior High School

Elementary Schools

• Pearl Lower Elementary School
• Northside Elementary School
• Pearl Upper Elementary School