Extreme Weather and Schools
WRHL 102.3 in Rochelle and WIXN 101.7 in Dixon will be our official radio stations for announcing school closings and changes in athletic schedules or other events due to inclement weather or other conditions. Other stations may be added to this list during the school year.
Weather-Related School Closings
Student safety is always our first consideration when it comes to cancelling school or events. Three factors impact the decision to close schools: road conditions, temperature and visibility. All three are considered when determining whether or not conditions warrant school cancellation.
All school cancellations will be communicated through the District App Notification System, the District Website, the District Facebook page, and Rockford TV News Stations. We will make every effort to make decisions by 5:30 a.m. but, in some instances, decisions may be made at a later time. It is advisable that families have plans in place to address late notification.
Snow Days
Snow is the most common reason for closing school. Factors considered are:
Accumulation and drifting
Icing
Wind speeds (particularly for the country)
Temperature
Road conditions
Forecast estimates for continued precipitation
When these conditions exist, the Superintendent will consult with a number of different people including, township road commissioners, area superintendents and our transportation director. There is no single rule of thumb for accumulation amounts and much of the decision depends on the presence of blowing and/or drifting snow. Every effort will be made to decide and inform families as quickly as possible but a decision to cancel school and/or events will not be based solely on a forecast.
Temperature
Extreme temperatures are often a part of our winters. These temperatures impact man and machine. We will utilize the NOAA/National Weather Service Wind Chill Chart as part of our informed decision-making process. The chart is not used as an absolute. Instead, it guides the decision-making process along with the forecast (e.g., how quickly a warm-up is expected to take place). When persistent cold temperatures combined with wind chills have the potential to lead to frostbite in less than 30 minutes of exposure, it is unlikely that school will be in attendance.
On days when temps are low (below 10º) but school is in session, we will plan to open doors by 7:30 a.m.
Factors considered are:
Temperature
Wind
Duration and Timing of Cold Temps
Safe Operation of Buses
Before/After School Events
The same process will be used when considering whether or not to cancel before and after school events.
Events are not automatically cancelled when school is cancelled, as we prefer to retain some flexibility in decision-making.
We understand the impact that school cancellations have on families and never take the decision lightly. Student safety is always our first priority and we appreciate your cooperation and patience.