Emergency School Closing Information

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School Closings

During the winter months (December 1-April 1) when the schools are scheduled to be closed or when there is a change in bus transportation, the following radio stations are informed of the situation in School District 81: WGN AM 720, WBBM AM 780, and WLS AM 890. In the event that schools need to be closed, you will be advised via Skylert, the District's automated calling system.

Emergency Closing of Schools

The Superintendent of Schools is authorized by the Board of Education’s policy to close schools on an emergency basis. By special arrangements with major radio networks, announcements of school closings will be broadcasted. Our District is always referred to as "School District 81 (Cook County)" in these announcements. These announcements are to be regarded as the official notification of school closings making it unnecessary for parents to call the school to confirm school closings.

How School Closing Decisions are Communicated

The District has established a phone notification system, which will allow a call to be made announcing school closing. We will always post information on our website and send recorded voice messages to parents’ phone numbers regarding altered dismissals due to inclement weather. Our emergency notification system automatically imports phone numbers from school records. Therefore, it is very important that you keep your contact information current on the school’s records.