Fort Dale Academy has cancelled school for Friday, Jan. 8.

Headmaster David Brantley notified parents via an automated voice mail system on Thursday afternoon, citing the threat of unsafe driving conditions early Friday morning as reason for the cancellation.

Additionally, Fort Dale’s scheduled basketball game against Hooper Academy in Greenville Friday night has been cancelled as well.

Brantley said the school will make up the missed day on Feb. 15, which was previously scheduled to be a holiday.

The Butler County School District will wait until 5 a.m. on Friday before making a decision about canceling classes, said Joseph Dean, interim superintendent.

Should conditions deteriorate to the point where school needs to be cancelled, the district will notify faculty and parents via phone and through news media, said Dean.

Weather forecasters expect the area to see a mixture of rain and sleet on Thursday night, with temperatures dropping to 20 degrees or lower. Friday’s high is expected to be only 33 degrees.