MACON, Ga. — On Wednesday afternoon, school districts across the state had a decision to make.
"I've been sending out National Weather Service briefings to our management teams and employees since Tuesday," says David Gowan, director of safety and security for Bibb County Schools.
He says they made the decision to go virtual instead of cancelling school altogether.
"The students obviously would be unsafe tomorrow morning to have them on the road on school buses or at bus stops, or have parents with kids in the car on the way to school, but they can still learn safely at home," says Gowan.
Bibb County was the first in the area to announce the decision to move online.
And hours later, Baldwin County Schools followed suit.
"I've been watching the weather reports and I knew we had some serious, concerning weather coming in," says Star Shaw.
Shaw has a 13-year-old son at Oak Hill Middle School in Baldwin County.
She says she supports the decision to move online for a day, because in her eyes, it's the safest choice.
"As a parent, you're always gonna worry about your child. I would rather they err on the side of caution, because you know in storms, anything could happen," says Shaw.
She says she's concerned about the parents who have to scramble to find childcare last minute.
"A lot of times, the parents are struggling trying to find someone to, especially if you have elementary school kids, they need an adult there," Shaw says.
She feels lucky to be able to work from home and have family in the area who can step in when needed.