Weather Closing and Delays
- Emergency vs E-Learning Days
- Key Factors in Making a Determination
- Decision Process & Student & Staff Communication
Emergency vs E-Learning Days
In 2022, our SD129 Board of Education approved the use of e-learning days. This means that in the event of inclement weather or another crisis, we would have the option to use either an emergency day or an e-learning day. The following information explains the difference between the two types of days and the scenarios in which they would be applied.
- Emergency Days: In the event that we would have to close buildings for one day, the district plans on using an emergency day. This means that students and staff members would have no school-related responsibilities that day and it would need to be made up later in the year. Potential makeup days due to emergency closures are listed on the academic year calendar.
- E-Learning Days: In the event that we would have to close buildings for more than one day, the district plans on using e-learning days. In this scenario, students would engage in virtual learning while staff members would have responsibilities related to their roles. These days would not need to be made up.
- On the morning of an e-learning day, elementary students should reference Seesaw to find Zoom links and codes. Elementary students would then follow the current building schedule via Zoom.
- On the morning of an e-learning day, secondary students should reference each of their course pages in Schoology to find Zoom links and codes. Secondary students would then follow the “Monday Late Start” bell schedule via Zoom.
- On the morning of an e-learning day, elementary students should reference Seesaw to find Zoom links and codes. Elementary students would then follow the current building schedule via Zoom.
Due to the unpredictability of our winter weather, we kindly ask that all students and staff members do their best to bring home devices and chargers each night during the winter season.
Key Factors in Making a Determination
Projected Low Temperatures & Significant Snow Accumulation:
Almost 60% of West Aurora School District 129 students utilize bus transportation services. Additionally, we also have a large number of students who walk to school. As such, we must recognize the potential hazards of exposing students to challenging conditions. Forecasts projecting sustained extreme wind chills will create a significant risk of hypothermia and frostbite. In addition, sustained extreme low temperatures can impact our buses and other essential equipment affecting our ability to transport students.
West Aurora School District 129 consults with the following internal departments and external partners in the community:
- Local Municipalities (road conditions)
- West Aurora School District 129 Transportation Department (bussing safety)
- West Aurora School District 129 Operations Department (snow removal)
- National Weather Service (weather updates)
- Surrounding School Districts (information sharing)
Decision Process & Student & Staff Communication
The decision process begins the evening prior or early in the morning, before 4:00 a.m. When conditions threaten the safety of the children and staff who are walking, driving, or riding buses to school, we may make a decision to alter the normal school day.
As soon as a decision is made, we will share the information through multiple channels of communication:
- Voice, email, and text message sent to each student's primary guardian on file
- Posted as a "pop-up" on the www.sd129.org webpage
- Posted on the SD129 social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
- Chicago news stations and radio stations
We will make every effort to communicate our decision by 5:15 am.
There may be some occasions when it will not be possible to make this time frame as the weather can change unexpectedly. There also may be times when the district will be able to make decisions the day before so that parents, staff members, and students know what will happen the following day. In any event, we will make our best effort to communicate in a timely manner.