Dear District 58 Families and Staff,
Due to the extreme cold, all District 58 schools will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan. 16, for in-person learning. A remote E-Learning Day will be held. Because our school buildings are closed, Champions before and after school care are also closed as well as all after-school activities.
I recognize another remote learning day is challenging. I also recognize the timing of this message after a remote day and three-day weekend is less than ideal. I truly wish I didn't have to send another weather-related email. Still, with a windchill warning of -25 to -40 below from the National Weather Service, it is too dangerous for children to walk to school or wait for a bus. Additionally, at these extreme temperatures, buses and other critical pieces of equipment become unreliable.
District 58, District 99, and other elementary districts that feed into District 99, established weather guidelines for days when there are extreme frigid temperatures. The guidelines state that if the area is under a windchill warning (-25 or worse), school will likely be closed. You can learn more about how District 58 makes weather-related closure decisions here. We are also prioritizing e-learning this year so we can use every available day over the summer for construction. E-learning days do not need to be made up at the end of the year, unlike traditional snow days.
As eager as we are to keep students physically in our school buildings, the safety of our students and staff must be our top priority.
Students will receive communication from their teachers and/or schools on how and when to connect and engage in e-learning.
Thank you for your patience and understanding. Please stay warm and safe.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kevin B. Russell
Superintendent of Schools