How Are School Closing Decisions Made in District 161? 

If we are going to close our school buildings, the decision will be made no later than 5:45 a.m. on the day of the closing.  In our recent history, we have made the decision to close the day before, to assist with planning and communication.  There is no specific temperature or inches of snow that will automatically trigger a decision to close the schools.  However, special consideration is given when temperatures are below zero or "real-feel" temperatures fall below -20F.   Among the factors/questions considered are these:

• Road and sidewalk conditions. Travel conditions for both students and staff are a primary consideration. 

• The longer-term weather forecast: Will closing one day mean closing for several more due to similarly predicted conditions?

• Will the potential benefits of closing the schools outweigh the potential disruptions to our families' life and work schedules?

Each school district has its own unique factors to take into consideration when making this decision and the Superintendent communicates closely with other local superintendents to make sure that we have the best information available.

How Are Families and Staff Members Notified? 

When District 161 plans to institute E-learning, the announcement is immediately shared via:

• Email sent directly to all parent/guardians and District 161 staff members;

• District-wide text alert and robocall, so please listen to all telephone messages from District 161.  During a closure, no one will be here to answer your question if you try to call the school or district office to ask what the telephone call was about;

• District 161 website [www.sd161.org] and individual school websites;

• District 161 and individual school Facebook pages, and;

• The information is also

  sent to local news outlets, but we have no control over how quickly or accurately that information is disseminated.

E-Learning Day Information 

Parents and guardians will receive an email communication from their student's building principal and/or teacher about the day's schedule and assignments.  The school day will begin at 8:00 a.m. and conclude at 1:30 p.m. Attendance will be taken by your child’s teacher[s] as it would occur on a regular school day.  There will be a combination of synchronous [Zoom] and independent learning time.  The elementary and junior high school schedule can be found here: K-8 E-Learning Schedule. 

Students in Grades 1 through 8 already transport their Chromebooks to and from school each day, so they should have their devices with them.  Students in Early Childhood, Pre-K, and Kindergarten also brought home packets of work to complete during an e-learning day.