www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/1341409,2_1_AU20_STORM_S1.article
Snow day for some, but not allSome school administrators 'made the call based on weather, not a prediction'
December 20, 2008
By Erika Wurst and Matt Hanley
ewurst@scn1.com mhanley@scn1.com
The Great Snow and Ice Storm of 2008 turned out to be more nuisance than disaster.
Car windows were iced over and roads were messy, but Friday morning's storm stopped short of the 1 inch of ice and/or 6 inches of snow that had been predicted. Travel times were slow, but police reported no major accidents or road closures due to weather.
Still, the weather was rough enough to cancel school at nearly all the local districts.
Kids were celebrating an early winter break in the Batavia, East Aurora, Geneva, Hinckley-Big Rock, Indian Prairie, Kaneland, Oswego, Plano, Rosary, Sandwich, Somonauk, St. Charles and West Aurora school districts.
Students at Aurora Central Catholic High School, Aurora Christian High School, Aurora University, Holy Angels School, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy and Marmion Academy were likely grumbling about their school's effective shoveling and salting policies, which kept classrooms open while others were out sledding.
"We made the call based on the weather, not a prediction," said Aurora Central Catholic Principal the Rev. William Etheredge. "At 5 a.m., the weather looked good, so we decided to have school."
Besides a few late students coming from as far away as DeKalb, Etheredge said there were no issues with transportation.
"I bet if you went to the mall today, you'd see a lot of students out doing some last-minute Christmas shopping," Etheredge said Friday. "But our kids are in school."
Marmion students were taking their last day of finals. They bought a little extra study time when the school's opening was pushed back to 9 a.m.
Indian Prairie high schoolers will have to celebrate the holidays with finals hanging over their head. The exams scheduled for Friday were pushed back to Jan. 9.
In Plano, Friday's finals also were moved to the new year. Exams will given on the Tuesday and Wednesday after students return. Report cards will be delayed by one week.
Checked the roads
At 4 a.m., St. Charles School Superintendent Donald Schlomann and transportation department employees hit the roads to check their conditions.
"Our prime consideration is the safety of the students getting to and from school," spokesman James Blaney said.
As in most districts, phone blasts were sent out to staff and parents, a message was sent to the media and the district put a notice on the Web site.
The superintendent was also out in the snow at 5:30 a.m. in Oswego, where David Behlow made the call to close.
"He went out very early this morning to see if the busing would be safe, and he was in contact with other administrators," said spokesman Kristine Liptrot.
In West Aurora, Superintendent James Rydland was out at 3 a.m. with custodians and transportation employees, making sure approaches to school parking lots were cleared and buses could navigate.
"It's really based on whether the bus can get to the bus barn," spokesman Mike Chapin said.