SPECIAL WEATHER EDITION: 

At the moment, I’m sure everyone is aware that Mother Nature controls our weather patterns. Without a doubt, this winter (since January) has been brutal, with both precipitation and historic low temperatures. Punxsutawney Phil was definitely not messing around when he saw his shadow on Groundhog Day earlier this month. Needless to say, the weather has impacted our school schedule.

It is always a difficult decision, and it is even more difficult when a closure has been in effect for multiple days. The wind chill for Wednesday morning is expected to be -19 degrees, with the HIGH temperature only reaching -5 degrees. The same trend is also slated for Thursday.

As of Tuesday, 2/18/25, USD 230 has missed six school days due to weather. Classes canceled for Wednesday, 2/19/25, will bring the number of weather days missed to seven. Within our district calendar, nine days are incorporated that can be missed and still meet our state-mandated required hours of instruction (1,116). As a result, two days remain that allow us a small cushion. If more than two additional days of school are canceled, there would be a need to make up the necessary hours to meet the required 1,116 minimum. Possible options could include (but are not limited to) adding minutes to each school day or adding a day(s) of attendance beyond our current listed final day.

Our maintenance crews continue to work nearly around the clock, ensuring that our campuses are clear and that our HVAC units are operational. Do stay tuned, and I hope the weather soon returns to the ‘average,’ which will be much warmer than we have been experiencing in recent days.

I thank you for your patience and understanding during this very rough winter season. Spring cannot come soon enough.

Have a Great Evening, and Stay Warm.

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