With ice still blanketing many roads and sidewalks, officials decided to keep Lawrence public schools closed today, the third consecutive day without classes.

“My major concern is the bus routes and the sidewalks,” Supt. Randy Weseman said, explaining why today’s classes were called off.

The district’s 10,000 students must make up today’s absence later in the school year. Inclement weather days Wednesday and Thursday don’t need to be made up because they were accounted for in the 2001-2002 academic calendar.

Forty percent of the district’s bus routes were still ice-covered on Thursday, with many in rural areas in the worst condition.

“The hills are awful,” Weseman said.

Many Lawrence sidewalks resembled the surface of an ice-skating rink. There was concern children walking to school would attempt to avoid slippery surfaces by walking in streets that had been plowed and sanded, Weseman said.

Weseman also said the time needed to return school buildings to working order after the ice storm was factored into the decision.

Here’s why:

l At least four schools were without electrical service, including Woodlawn, East Heights and Hillcrest elementary schools and Central Junior High School.

Others had partial service on Thursday.

l Leaky school roofs, including South Junior High School, where melting ice was leaking into the building.

l Broken limbs that fell on portable classrooms, including a trailer at East Heights.

“Hopefully,” Weseman said, “We’ll have these problems cleared up by the weekend and have a fresh start Monday.”

Kansas University and Haskell Indian Nations University also canceled classes again on Thursday because of the weather.

This was the first time since Feb. 12 and 13, 1978, that KU canceled classes two days in a row.

The Haskell campus was without electricity and telephone service for about 45 minutes late Thursday morning.

“They both came back on at around 11:45,” said Haskell president Karen Swisher.

The university canceled classes Wednesday and Thursday.

“For the safety of our employees, we felt it was necessary to cancel classes. They could come in if they wanted to, but they weren’t expected,” Swisher said. “We have people come here every day from 25 or 30 miles in every direction. A lot of them couldn’t make it in.”

Swisher said she expected classes would resume today. KU officials announced Thursday evening that classes would resume today.

Baker University spokesman John Fuller said classes would resume today unless weather prompts officials to change their minds today.