School District 57

Dear District 57 Parents/Guardians,

As we enter the winter months, District 57 would like to update you on some of the factors that contribute to closing school in the event of inclement weather and when you can expect to be notified. Over the past several years, we have been engaged in collaborative discussions with District 214 and our neighboring districts. Together, we are committed to a process that ensures decisions are made wisely and in a timely fashion regarding the safety and well-being of our entire school community.

District 57 will follow these general guidelines when closing schools for winter-related closings:

• Schools will be closed if there is a forecasted sustained wind chill of -30 degrees Fahrenheit or colder, or when the actual temperature is a sustained -15 degrees Fahrenheit or colder between the travel times of 5:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. and/or 2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. The District will use forecasts provided by the National Weather Service.

• For snow, ice, or other weather-related closings, District 57 will monitor the current conditions, the forecasted conditions between the travel times listed above, the ability of our staff to plow parking lots and sidewalks, as well as the ability of local municipalities to plow and make streets passable. District 57 will also be in contact with our transportation companies to assess their ability to run buses safely. In these situations, the District will also be in contact with our neighboring districts, our local and State officials, and meteorologists in order to make the most appropriate decision with the facts known at that respective time.

• If school will be closed, District 57 will make the notification by 5:30 a.m. the day of the closing, knowing that you may need to arrange for childcare or other schedule changes. If we are able to make the determination the night before to close school – meaning the forecast undoubtedly warrants closure – we will attempt to notify you between 6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

• Typically, we do not send out a telephone notice after 9:30 p.m., as the system can sometimes take up to an hour or so to complete all calls. Additionally, the District will update its website, social media accounts, (facebook.com/dist57/; instagram.com/mpdist57/; and twitter.com/dist57), and the Emergency Closing Center website (www.emergencyclosingcenter.com) as soon as a decision has been made. However, if the decision to close school is made after 9:30 p.m., the District will wait and send out the telephone notice by 5:30 a.m. the following morning.

• When school is closed due to inclement weather, all extracurricular programs and school meetings (except for Board meetings) are canceled.

• It is important to remind you that the Illinois School Code and District policy allow parents to call their student(s) out, as excused, in the event that the district keeps schools open because, as a family, you have concerns about your child safely traveling to or from school.