• High School District 214 is committed to a winter weather closing process that ensures decisions are made wisely and in a timely fashion regarding the safety and well-being of our entire school community.

    As always, the safety and security of our students and staff remains a top priority.

    The District will follow these general guidelines for winter weather-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. and 9:00 a.m. and/or 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. The District will use forecasts provided by the National Weather Service.
    • For snow, ice, or other weather-related closings, the District will monitor current conditions, forecasted conditions between the travel times listed above, the ability of our staff to plow parking lots and sidewalks and the ability of local municipalities to plow and make streets passable.
    • The District also will be in contact with its transportation carriers to assess their ability to safely run buses. The District will be in contact with local and State officials and with meteorologists to make the most appropriate decision with the facts known at that time.
    • If school will be closed, the District 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 the District is able to make the determination the night before to close school – meaning the forecast undoubtedly warrants closure – the District will attempt to notify you between 6:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. 
    • Typically, the District does not send out a telephone Blackboard notice after 9:30 p.m., as the system can sometimes take up to an hour or so to complete all calls. The District will update its website, social media accounts (Twitter and Facebook), and the Emergency Closing Center Website (www.emergencyclosingcenter.com) as soon as a decision has been made. However, in the event the decision to close school is made after 9:30 p.m., the District will wait and send out the telephone Blackboard notice by 5:30 a.m. the following morning.
    • In the event of severe weather, information regarding afternoon and evening co-curricular activities, athletics and community education classes will be updated by 1:00 p.m. or whenever practicable on school websites.
    • The District will follow the same procedures noted above in the event of a weather-related late start.
    • School Code and District policy allows parents to call their student out, as excused, in the event that the District keeps schools open but, as a family, you have concerns about your child safely traveling to or from school.

    Emergency Closing Information

    Click here to visit the WGN Emergency Closing Center

    Other sources for District 214 School Closing information include the following media outlets:

    Radio

    WGN 720 AM

    Television / Cable Channels

    CBS, Channel 2
    NBC, Channel 5
    ABC, Channel 7
    WGN, Channel 9
    WFLD, Channel 32