District 300 to Close Friday; Other Local Schools Plan to Open

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District 300 schools will close Friday while several other local schools are expected to be back in session.

Here is a look at what local school districts had decided as of early Friday morning regarding the status of school on Friday:

• All District 300 schools will be closed Friday.
• Community High School District 155 will reopen Friday
• Crystal Lake Community Consolidated School District 47 will reopen Friday
• District 158 posted on its website Wednesday that the school district “fully expected to be back in school on Friday.” Check the school district’s website for more information.

District 300 families received the following information late Thursday regarding Friday’s closing:

This is Fred Heid, Superintendent of District 300 calling with an important message regarding school closures for Friday, January 9th.

In keeping with our commitment to student and staff safety, District 300 schools will be closed on Friday, January 9th.

Up until 10:50pm, I have driven the District 300 roads to determine their safety and I consistently experienced the hazards of snowdrifts and icy road conditions.

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 caution, 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.

I do not take the decision to close District 300 lightly. District officials have been working around the clock to monitor everything from weather and road conditions, to the safety of school parking lots and the temperatures inside each classroom. It is my belief, based upon all of the information I have analyzed, that closing District 300 is the best decision to ensure the safety of our students and our community.