Deerfield Public Schools District 109 and North Shore School District 112 will close all schools Wednesday because of anticipated cold weather, district officials said Tuesday.
All after-school activities and meetings also have been cancelled, officials said.
“My preference as an educator (and a parent myself!) always is for students to be in classrooms, learning and having fun,” District 109 Superintendent Michael Lubelfeld wrote in an email to parents.
“However, after reviewing weather data and gathering valuable input from our public officials and other local school administrators, it is very clear that it’s not safe for staff and students to travel to school,” he said.
District 112 Superintendent Michael Bregy sent a similar email to parents, announcing Wednesday’s closings.
In an interview Tuesday before the announcement, Lubelfeld said District 109 used four of its allotted five emergency days because of cold weather.
“We would just love to have a year where we wouldn’t use any,” Lubelfeld said.
In recent years, the district has made improvements to its heating and air-conditioning systems.
“Once we get people to school, we’re very confident we can keep them warm,” Lubelfeld said.
The real concern is for the 2,000 or so students who ride the school bus, he said.
“It’s really that exposed skin on a youngster at a bus stop,” Lubelfeld said. “That’s my greatest concern.”
Lubelfeld acknowledged the decision to close schools is always subject to criticism.
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“It weighs heavily on me,” he said. “Not every family can stay home and take care of the kids. They depend on us for that.”
A spokeswoman with Township High School District 113, which includes Deerfield and Highland Park high schools, said the district would make the call by Tuesday evening.
“With dangerous wind chills like those anticipated for the area tomorrow, our primary consideration is the safety and well-being of all of our students, who use a variety of modes of transportation … to get to school,” District 113 spokeswoman Jennifer Waldorf wrote in an email.