Elmhurst Teacher Absences Prompt Day Off

ELMHURST, IL – Expected faculty and staff absences are the reason that Elmhurst School District 205 gave two weeks ago for the decision to make Good Friday a day off after all.

In late 2021, the school board broke with tradition and made Good Friday a school day in 2023, with board President Kara Caforio dissenting.

At the time, the district said the decision was because of the state's mandate to make Election Day a holiday and the desire to keep the same last day of school.

In a March 23 statement to families, the district announced it was reversing itself. It said it understood the impact of requiring attendance on Good Friday on families.

"(We) have monitored the staff absences planned for April 7, 2023, and are seeing a large number of staff planning to be absent, which is impacting the ability to appropriately staff classrooms and supervise students," the district said.

The district noted that it has not taken any bad weather days this school year. It said the calendar adjustment would not change the last day of school.