Happy New Year, and as is typical in Illinois every January, the risk of winter weather arrives with the new year. Below is a reminder on the procedures for Bunker Hill CUSD #8 in the event of inclement weather.
While the district is at the forefront of many educational initiatives, we are proudly "old school" when it comes to cancelling school. Bunker Hill CUSD #8 does NOT utilize remote or e-learning days in the event of severe weather. There are too many concerns regarding connectivity and other barriers for childcare, special education minutes, etc. Additionally, there is a certain magic for kids to enjoy a day off from school. Therefore, if school is cancelled for students in BH8, it is a traditional "snow day" to enjoy playing in the snow, drinking hot chocolate, or shoveling off driveways for a neighbor in need.
While every attempt will be made to make this call early enough to accommodate childcare arrangements, we hesitate to cancel school on a moderately strong forecast unless there is an imminent threat of dangerous conditions. Parents are reminded to always have a backup childcare arrangement for cancelled school.
Traditional media will be notified (FM stations and TV channels) as soon as the decision has been made. Parents will be notified via SMS text message and messages will be posted to our social media. For students receiving services out of district in Region 3, that school's calendar will need to be followed. However, typically if Bunker Hill 8 cancels, most other school districts have also cancelled.
For this upcoming winter event (tomorrow, Sunday January 5), preparations are being made for a remote Teachers' Institute for the safety of our staff. At this point, we plan on students returning on Tuesday, January 7. However, with the uncertainty of this storm, we also recognize that ice on outlying rural roads may present a hazard. That decision will be made late Monday in consultation with our Transportation Dept and local officials.
Stay tuned, and stay safe tomorrow