UPDATE: Some School Districts Reopen Friday, Others Do Not
As of this post, it looks like many Kane County schools will open their doors Friday, after two days of closures due to the dangerous cold.
School District 300 is one exception; U-46 is another.
Fred Heid, superintendent of District 300, made the call that District 300 schools will be closed on Friday, Jan. 9.
“Up until 10:50 p.m., I have driven the District 300 roads to determine their safety,and I consistently experienced the hazards of snowdrifts and icy road conditions, Heid said. “Many parents and young students drive on these roads to attend our schools. It is my feeling that opening schools tomorrow would put these parents and students at risk.
“Additionally, hazardous road conditions will require our bus drivers to exercise tremendous cautrion which would lead to delayed pickup times. Due to the extremely cold weather forecasted in the most recent National Weather Advisory, I am not comfortable with any District 300 student waiting at a bus stop for an extended period of time.”
As of Thursday afternoon, U-46 had expected to open Jan. 9, but officials decided against the plan.
“Please be aware that all U-46 schools will be closed today, Jan. 9, due to the weather.
- All U-46 schools are closed.
- All before- and after-school activities have been canceled.
- All SAFE programs are closed.
All principal, assistant principals, and 12-month employees are expected to report to work.
Geneva School District 304 was the first to make an announcement at around 4 p.m. Thursday, although it came with a caveat.
“As of this time, Geneva CUSD 304 schools will be in session on Friday, Jan. 9, 2015,” officials said by email and on the School District website. “In the event that weather conditions warrant a change, notifications will be sent prior to 6 a.m. Friday.”
Central School District 301 said pretty much the same thing.
“Weather permitting all Central Schools will be in attendance Friday, Jan. 9, 2015. Weather conditions will be monitored overnight and if necessary, a decision to close school will be made in the morning before 6 a.m.. If school is closed our notification system will be used as well as news stations and a new message will be on the district home page.” Read more here.
East Aurora’s website joined the party a little later in the evening Thursday.
“All East Aurora School District 131 schools are expected to be OPEN on Friday, January 9. The District will continue to monitor the weather throughout the night. If weather conditions change and schools need to remain closed, the District will send out a phone message, post the message on the District website and social media sites, and notify local media. East Aurora School District 131 will only send out a notice when schools are closed. If there is no announcement, schools are open. More info: http://bit.ly/147pZv9”
Obviously, look for and listen to your local school district to make sure there’s a green light in this white out. The National Weather Service forecast for Kane County calls for patchy blowing snow before noon, with a high near 3 degrees. Wind chill values as low as -23 are expected.
A Winter Weather Advisory was in effect until 3 a.m. Friday.
For links to YOUR public school district website and Facebook page, check out this article on Kane County Connects.
Kane County School Closings Info
Here are links to school district web pages and Facebook pages for additional information.
East Aurora School District 131
West Aurora School District 129
Batavia School District 101
Central School District 301
Geneva School District 304
Kaneland School District 302
School District 300
School District U-46
St. Charles CUSD 303
