If you woke up this morning wondering if you need to scrape the frost off the windshield or if you can just stay in your pajamas, you aren't alone. Honestly, looking at the calendar for Friday, February 13, 2026, the situation in the Kansas City metro is a bit of a mixed bag. It's not just about the weather. While we always brace for that mid-February ice or a surprise dusting of snow, a lot of the Kansas City school closings February 13 were actually decided months ago.
Basically, for a huge chunk of families in the metro, school was never on the books for today. Between parent-teacher conferences and professional development days, the "Friday the 13th" luck is leaning heavily toward a three-day weekend for the kids.
The Big Names: Who is actually closed?
If you’re in the Shawnee Mission or Kansas City Kansas (KCKPS) districts, you likely already knew this was coming. But for those who forget to check the fridge calendar, here is the breakdown.
Shawnee Mission School District has this day marked for Parent-Teacher Conferences. No school for students. It’s a bit of a marathon for the teachers, but for the kids, it’s a free day. Kansas City Kansas Public Schools (USD 500) is in a similar boat, listing February 13 as a "Teacher Non-Duty Day" or a day dedicated to Family Advocacy. Either way, the result is the same: the buildings are quiet.
Then you have Platte County School District. They have a "Professional Learning Day" (PLD) scheduled. However, they also keep these dates in their back pocket as potential make-up days if the winter has been particularly brutal. If the district hasn't burned through its allotted snow days, February 13 remains a day off for the students.
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When Weather Hijacks the Plan
Now, let's talk about the "what if." Even if a school was supposed to be open, Kansas City weather in February is notoriously moody. Average highs sit around 6°C (about 43°F), but the nights still dip well below freezing.
Most local districts, including North Kansas City Schools and Olathe, have shifted their playbooks recently. They don't just "cancel" anymore. They pivot.
- Plan A: The classic snow day. No school, no Zoom, no nothing. Just sledding at Loose Park.
- The Virtual Pivot: If the roads are treacherous but the power is on, districts like NKC now use "Inclement Weather Virtual Learning Days."
- The Two-Hour Delay: This is the middle ground. It gives the plow crews time to hit the main drags like I-35 and Ward Parkway before the buses start rolling.
If you are looking for a last-minute update because of a sudden ice storm, the local news outlets like KMBC 9 or KCTV5 are usually the fastest, but the district's own "SchoolMessenger" alerts are the most reliable. Honestly, by the time it hits the news ticker, your phone has probably already buzzed twice.
Kansas City School Closings February 13: The Hidden Logistics
Have you ever wondered why some districts close and others don't when they are only ten miles apart? It feels random, but it isn't.
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Superintendents in the KC metro usually start a "weather watch" around 4:00 AM. They have "scouts" out driving the backroads in places like Liberty or Blue Valley. It’s one thing for the streets in the Plaza to be clear; it’s another thing entirely for a bus to navigate a hilly, unplowed cul-de-sac in a rural part of the district.
Safety is the big one. If the wind chill hits 0°F, many districts, including Shawnee Mission, have standing policies to keep kids inside or cancel school altogether to prevent frostbite at bus stops.
What about the "Half-Days"?
Sometimes you’ll see a "Family Advocacy" morning or a "Teacher Collaboration" afternoon. These are the worst for parents' schedules. Columbia Public Schools, for instance, often utilizes February 13 for "Teacher Collaboration," meaning the students stay home while the staff works on curriculum. It’s a workday for the adults, but a "stay-at-home" day for the kids.
Making the Most of the Day Off
Since a large portion of the metro is out of the classroom today, the city tends to get a little crowded in specific spots. If you're looking for a way to burn off energy:
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- Science City at Union Station: It’s the go-to, but fair warning—it will be packed on a scheduled day off.
- The Nelson-Atkins: If it’s cold, the indoors are free and quiet.
- Local Libraries: The Mid-Continent and KCMO systems usually run special programming on these "scheduled" school closing dates.
The reality of Kansas City school closings February 13 is that they are a mix of pre-planned breaks and the ever-present threat of Midwestern ice. Check your specific district's portal. Most have a "Weather" or "Inclement Weather" tab that explains exactly which "Plan" (A, B, or C) they are moving to if a storm rolls in.
If you're a parent, the best thing you can do is have your "Plan B" childcare ready by late Thursday night. February in Missouri doesn't give many warnings.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check your specific district’s calendar to see if today was a pre-scheduled Professional Development or Conference day.
- Download the SchoolMessenger or ParentSquare app for your district to get real-time push notifications.
- Verify your district's Virtual Learning policy; if it's a "Plan C" day, your student will likely need to log in by 9:00 AM to be marked present.
- If you're driving, check the MoDOT or KDOT maps before heading out, as school closures often correlate with high accident volumes on the major interchanges.