Emergency school closings may be necessitated by inclement weather, power outages, loss of water, or other hazardous conditions. Decisions regarding emergency closings will be made by 6:00 a.m. of the day in question.

You may receive information on Emergency School Closings four different ways:

• Access the District's web page at http://www.csd99.org

• Listen to local radio and TV stations school closing listings

• Telephone the District's 24-hour hotline - 963-3991 (Option 4, Option 1)

• Receive a computerized phone call

Computerized phone call

All parents and staff will receive a computerized phone call notifying them of school closings. As a new service this year, the District has contracted with Expedite to contact North and South High families within one hour. The system, which has 750 lines, will leave messages on answering machines, voice mail or with someone answering the phone. Multiple attempts will be made to contact District 99 families about school closings and other critical information.

24-hour Hotline

963-3991 - Option 4 - Option 1
The hotline will have school closing information by 6 a.m. on the day in question.

District web page

http://www.csd99.org
Information on school closings will be on the first page of the District's web page by 6 a.m.

Radio & TV stations

Many area radio and TV stations carry information on school closings. The school district informs the Chicagoland Computerized Emergency Closing Center, which notifies the following radio and TV stations. The frequency with which closings are read is at the discretion of the local stations.

AM Radio
WGN 720; WMAQ 670; WBBM 780

TV Stations
CBS TV Channel 2; WGN TV Channel 9; FOX Channel 32; CLTV News

Other sources of information

School Switchboards
North High 795-8400
South High 795-8500

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Decide When To Close Schools?

The decision to close is based on many factors.

Building conditions
Do the buildings have power, light and heat?

Site conditions
Is the parking lot plowed? Can buses get in and turn around, can parents drop off students and are the exit doors free of snow?

Bus operations
Can the bus drivers get to the bus company? Do the buses start and do the drivers feel comfortable driving?

Road conditions
Are the roads continually plowed and is traffic moving?

Air temperature
How cold is it? Are the temperature and wind chill bearable?

If the answer is yes to all of these questions, most likely the decision will be to keep schools open.

Who Makes The Decision And Where Do You Get Your Information?

The superintendent of schools makes the decision to close the schools. He consults with the associated feeder school superintendents late in the evening or early in the morning. There is an effort to make a joint decision among all the school systems within District 99. The superintendent also talks to neighboring high school districts, the bus company and police departments. "I live in the District, drive the local roads and visit the school sites," said David Eblen, Superintendent.

As always, parents have the prerogative to keep their student(s) at home and call into the school for an excused absence if they feel that there are hazardous conditions.

When Do You Make The Decision To Close A School?

The decision to close the schools is usually made very early in the morning, before 6 a.m. unless we learn of severe weather conditions headed this way. That way teachers and students getting an early start to school can be informed.

It's not an easy decision and one that has an impact not only on teachers and students, but families and working parents. If schools are closed, another day of attendance is added in June and that can affect the graduation schedule, senior exams and vacations.