Summer break ended Monday for the more than 8,000 students of Barrington School District 220, and as they returned to classrooms that morning, the new superintendent reached out to families in the afternoon cautioning about the hot weather forecast for the rest of the week.
“It was wonderful to welcome back our students in grades 1-12+ today for the first day of school!” Superintendent Craig Winkelman wrote in an electronic message to SD220 families Monday. “While we are grateful for sunny skies, we are also closely monitoring the forecasted high temperatures for this week.”
Temperatures in the low- to mid-90s were forecast for Wednesday and Thursday — with a triple-digit heat index advisory issued for Thursday.
Winkelman said that in order to “ensure that everyone stays safe and comfortable,” the district would run air conditioner units at its 12 school buildings at daytime levels during the nighttime “in order to prevent school buildings from heating up.”
The new school chief, who was tapped at the end of last school year to take over from Superintendent Robert Hunt — who returned to Ohio, where he came to SD220 from, said district officials would make adjustments to outdoor recess, athletic practices, physical education classes and after-school activities “as needed.”
Winkelman said district officials would monitor the temperatures the remainder of the week and update families. He also advised that information could also be found on the district and individual school websites, as well as on the Barrington High School athletic site.
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