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Steps Taken to Open/Close Schools in Poor Weather
Jan. 23, 2019
The decision to cancel school and/or activities during bad weather is never an easy one, but some days it is a more obvious call than other days. The decision always involves nearly round-the-clock weather monitoring by our leaders, specifically our CEO, Director of Transportation, and Director of Plant Operations, among others.
Today, for example, CEO Sanders woke up at 3:45 a.m. Our Transportation Director and Coordinator of Grounds had already been on the job for more than an hour, and both provided updates by 4 a.m. They talked about the forecast, road conditions, and parking lots. Both said it would be a slow-going morning, but that we would be prepared to open.
Mr. Sanders then left his home at 4:10 a.m. to drive through parts of the District. He found most roads were plowed down the center at a minimum. Major roads were slightly snow covered, but plows were out.
At 4:30 a.m. Mr. Sanders had a conference call with superintendents in other school districts to discuss weather and road conditions. All Kane County districts chose to open (except a few late starts), and all DuPage County districts are open. A few school districts to the west, those in Sycamore and DeKalb, did close.
Our bus drivers made it to the Transportation Department and attendance was normal. Drivers were poised and ready to depart at 5:30 a.m.
We communicated to families around 6 a.m. by phone, email, and text to share in English and Spanish that classes would be held as scheduled today but that students and parents should expect transportation delays.
The decision to keep schools opened or or close them does not impact our revenue. The safety of students and staff is always the top priority when making this decision. That said, families always have the option to keep their children home on days they deem it unsafe. We understand concerns from parents and staff, and we will continue to use all the data and information possible to make the best decisions about opening or closing school doors during poor weather.