Emergency School Closings / Severe Weather
The school district takes the responsibility of deciding whether to close schools seriously.
Generally, schools will remain open except for extremely inclement weather. Snow, ice, and extremely cold temperatures may affect bus pick-up and drop-off times, sometimes causing buses to run late.
In instances when either extremely cold temperatures and/or considerable snowfall exist, District 15 may make the decision to pivot to an e-Learning Day (see Severe Weather Response Plans below).
As part of the Moving 15 Forward plan, the Board has authorized the use of e-Learning Days for the 2024-25 school year should we need to close school due to inclement weather. The District will send out communication to families alerting them of an e-Learning day.
If severe weather conditions exist, the decision to shift to an e-Learning Day is made by 5:30 a.m. You'll be notified via:
- Phone, Text, Email, and CCSD15 Mobile App—District 15 will send a message to all parents through a voice call, text message, email, and D15 Mobile App using Finalsite (formerly Blackboard), a mass communication system. Please ensure your contact information listed in Infinite Campus' Campus Parent portal is accurate. If you have changes you'd like to make to your personal contact information, please contact your child's school office. If you miss the phone call, you may call 855-269-0502 to listen to the message again.
- Website—If classes are canceled due to inclement weather, an announcement will be posted on all of our websites.
- Social Media—School closures will be posted on the district's Facebook and Instagram social media sites.
- Radio and TV—Should a snow day be called, District 15 will inform radio stations WGN-AM 720, WBBM-AM 780 and 105.9 FM; TV stations CBS-2, NBC-5, ABC-7, WGN-9, FOX-32, and CLTV News. The announcement on the radio and TV describes our district as: “District 15, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Cook County.”
When severe weather conditions exist, parents must decide whether their children can get to school safely. Even when the school district decides to keep schools open, parents should review their own situation to determine if they should send their children to school. If you do decide to keep your child home on a day in which the weather is extremely inclement but schools are not closed, your child will be marked absent, but the absence will not count against any attendance incentive programs and your child will be given every opportunity to make up missed work.
As a parent or guardian, you are also responsible for making alternative arrangements for your child's care in the event that schools pivot to an e-Learning day due to inclement weather. If the possibility exists that a parent or older sibling will not be home, we encourage parents to designate an alternate destination for their children if school dismisses early due to inclement weather or an unforeseen circumstance.
What to Expect on an e-Learning Day
On e-Learning Days, students and staff will transition to virtual learning from home, following their regular school schedule. Live instruction will be provided online through a Google Meet to ensure continuity of learning. This means:
- For grades K-2, students should sign in to Seesaw through Clever and click on the Google Meet link to join their virtual classroom session. In Seesaw, students will also access activities and assignments as directed by their teacher.
- For grades 3-8, students should sign in to Google Classroom and join the virtual classroom and access assignments set up by their teachers.
- PreK students will be asynchronous meaning that they will not be online virtually. Teachers will have activities planned and sent home the day before an e-Learning Day.
Visit the D15 e-Learning Plan page for more information, FAQs, and help for students.
Severe Weather Response Plans
District 15 and Township High School District 211 have teamed up to develop new plans to respond to severe cold weather in the event that this winter brings with it the extreme wind chills that have occurred in recent years. The districts will implement this plan together because many of the families they serve have children who attend schools in both districts. The plans aim to more clearly define certain weather conditions that will call for the cancelation of classes, and are as follows:
![Extreme Cold Watch]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1730136866/ccsd15net/yr0gd64vytkczxsrpuav/ExtremeColdWatch.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1730136866/ccsd15net/yr0gd64vytkczxsrpuav/ExtremeColdWatch.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1730136866/ccsd15net/yr0gd64vytkczxsrpuav/ExtremeColdWatch.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1730136866/ccsd15net/yr0gd64vytkczxsrpuav/ExtremeColdWatch.png","width":887}])
![Extreme Heat Warning]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1730136429/ccsd15net/qb20dvvo5kqe0fb6jsvv/ExtremeColdWarning.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1730136429/ccsd15net/qb20dvvo5kqe0fb6jsvv/ExtremeColdWarning.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1730136429/ccsd15net/qb20dvvo5kqe0fb6jsvv/ExtremeColdWarning.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1730136429/ccsd15net/qb20dvvo5kqe0fb6jsvv/ExtremeColdWarning.png","width":887}])
![Extreme Heat Warning]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1730136429/ccsd15net/ktutzzsybhmo5kfayolc/ExtremeHeatWarning.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1730136429/ccsd15net/ktutzzsybhmo5kfayolc/ExtremeHeatWarning.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1730136429/ccsd15net/ktutzzsybhmo5kfayolc/ExtremeHeatWarning.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1730136429/ccsd15net/ktutzzsybhmo5kfayolc/ExtremeHeatWarning.png","width":886}])
RECESS
Elementary students generally go outside for recess every day. Therefore, they should dress appropriately for the weather. In extreme cold conditions, a winter coat, hat, gloves, boots, and dressing in layers is advised. Exceptions are made only when a child brings a doctor’s note excusing them from outdoor recess.
During extreme cold watches and warnings:
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If the temperature outside, together with the wind chill, is below 0°F, all students will remain inside for the entire lunch hour.
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If the temperature outside, together with the wind chill, is between 0°–10°F, the preferred procedure is a rotation of 20 minutes for lunch, a 20-minute outdoor recess, and a 20-minute indoor recess. However, at the principal’s discretion, the students may be kept inside for the entire lunch hour.
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If the temperature outside, together with the wind chill, is above 10°F, students will have regular outdoor recess.
During extreme heat warnings:
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If the temperature (or heat index) is below 100 degrees - students will be outside for recess/PE.
- If the temperature (or heat index) is 100 degrees or above - students will be inside for recess/PE.
Other considerations include the condition of the playground and the presence of precipitation. For indoor recess, students are supervised in their classrooms.
KEEP YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION UP TO DATE
It is extremely important that the school office have up-to-date home and work telephone numbers, addresses, and emergency contacts on file. Parents will be contacted in the event a child becomes sick or is injured. District 15 uses Finalsite's mass notification system to communicate with parents. All parents are automatically enrolled. Please ensure your contact information listed in Infinite Campus' Campus Parent portal is accurate.
Children will be released only to their parents, legal guardians, or emergency contacts as approved by their parents on student registration forms during an emergency. (In extreme emergencies, verified phone authorization of an additional emergency contact may be acceptable at the principal’s discretion.) All parents, legal guardians, or emergency contacts will be required to present proper identification before a student will be permitted to leave the building.
One emergency contact living within 30 minutes of your student's school is recommended. The contact should be able to respond within a few minutes if called by the school office. Parents can easily update emergency contacts through the parent portal at any time.