December 30, 2009

To All District 89 Parents,

Extreme weather conditions present many challenges for school district operations, including the opening or closing of our buildings.  Student health and safety is always our first concern.  The following guidelines are implemented when determining an emergency closing of our schools.

District 89 administrators review the weather conditions very early in the morning and determine if all buildings are accessible for students and staff.  This is followed by a consultation with the transportation service to see if buses will be able to travel safely to and from school.  These are the primary factors that guide the district’s decision.  Weather forecasts, temperature, and wind chill are also reviewed.  A conference call is then held between the District 87 superintendent, the Glenbard elementary feeder district superintendents as well as surrounding high school district superintendents.  Generally, a decision will be made that affects all of the Glenbard districts.  Every effort is made to decide no later than 5:30 a.m. whether the schools will be open or closed.

School Closings:  Should weather conditions not permit our schools to open, you will be notified through our automated emergency telephone system.  You can also learn of school closings by checking the District web site (www.ccsd89.org), calling the District Office at 630/469-8900, or through major radio and television stations.  If schools are closed due to inclement weather, the administration will assess the conditions at mid-day and make a determination regarding after school activities.

Many parents work outside the home during the school week, and have no child care arrangements in place before the end of the school day.  Keeping this in mind, District 89 makes every effort to keep schools open if it is safe to do so, and tries to not dismiss the students early on days when the weather becomes worse.

Weather conditions affect children differently.  If you believe a wind-chill is harmful for your child to be outside for any period of time, please keep your student(s) at home.  If you can arrange to transport your child to school at a later time, we would encourage you to do so.  Please call your school to notify them if your child will be staying home, or arriving late.

Safe Travel to School:  Speak to your child about the best route to take to school if he/she will be walking.  Please emphasize that under no circumstance should your child be walking in or near traffic.  We encourage all motorists to be extremely cautious around school crossings and school entrances.  

If it becomes severely cold (in your judgment), instruct your child not to wait a long period of time for a school bus.  Unfortunately, bus delays may occur in inclement weather.  Good judgment must be exercised in this case.  Please make sure your child is appropriately dressed for the conditions.

Extreme weather conditions can place children at risk.  You may decide that weather conditions affect your child/family in such a manner that it is best not to attend school.  In this case, please notify the school, and we will support your decision in this regard.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact your principal or teacher.  Thank you for your assistance.

Open Emergency Closing Web Site