The goal of this webpage is to share some information about how the district handles extreme weather (e.g. heat, cold, snow, etc.) and our procedures for closing schools. It is important to mention that we have a feature on our District 107 home page (www.d107.org) titled "Emergency Closing Information." If you are ever unsure whether schools will be open, you will find the most up-to-date information on our website. On bad weather days, the district makes every effort to update the website by 5:30 a.m. However, there are times when the timing of our notification is delayed due to circumstances out of our control.

Below you will find a great deal of information about how we handle winter weather issues.  This information is organized into categories.  Please familiarize yourself with this information so you are ready in the event of a school closure or a remote learning day. 

Pleasantdale School District recognizes the importance of recess and having children play outside. While outdoor play is a priority, we need to balance the desire to have students play outside with their personal safety. We make every effort to bring students outdoors daily, so please make sure your child comes to school with the proper clothing for the weather (e.g. COLD: hat, boots, gloves, coat — HOT: water bottle, sunscreen, light clothing, etc.).
There are times when school is in session and the weather prohibits our staff from taking students outside for recess. In these cases, students will have indoor recess. During indoor recess, students will be able to play and talk with one another and will be provided downtime to recharge for their next learning experience. The below charts are provided by the US Weather Service and provides guidance as we make decisions to keep kids indoors or allow students to play outside.

Calling a remote learning day or canceling school is always a last resort. We intend to have students learn in person unless the weather makes it unsafe to do so.  With that said, the decision to either cancel school or use a remote learning day will be made at the time it is deemed unsafe to come to school.  Several factors are considered when deciding to call a remote learning day, including the availability of power and internet in our area. Additionally, we consider the predictability of the weather to ensure our teachers have ample time to plan meaningful lessons. Likewise, we seek to make educationally sound decisions. If calling a remote learning day will provide more robust learning than adding a day to the school calendar in June, then we will utilize our option to call a remote learning day.

During inclement weather or in emergency situations, our first priority is the safety and welfare of our students and staff.  At the same time, the closing of school can be burdensome to families due to childcare and work schedules.  We consider closing school to in-person learning to be an exception and we place a strong emphasis on keeping our schools open.  Some of the primary factors that are considered when making a decision include:

• The safety and well-being of students and staff
• The severity of the weather (extreme cold, excessive snow, flooding, etc.)
• Timing of the weather events
• The ability of buses and cars to travel safely
• The operable condition of our buildings
• Whether there are power/internet outages

Whenever a decision is made to cancel school or offer remote learning options, it is based on the general safety conditions for all students and staff.  The District recognizes that conditions may vary for each individual student or family. If you feel that it is unsafe to send your child to attend school, please contact the school attendance office and the student will be given an excused absence.

The Superintendent of Schools determines when and if conditions at our schools warrant the cancellation of school or the need to implement our remote learning plan.  This decision is normally made in collaboration with the District administration, other area superintendents, local Village departments, the bus service provider, and the Illinois Department of Transportation, depending on the conditions.

Pleasantdale District 107 works collaboratively with Lyons Township High School District 204, our Township Districts 101, 102, 103, 105, 106, and LADSE on school closings. Because we have many families whose students are enrolled at both LTHS and Pleasantdale Schools, we seek to be consistent to create the least amount of family disruption.  This may not always occur, but please be assured it is a priority in our deliberations.

The National Weather Service (NWS) will be the primary meteorological source to determine and declare weather conditions such as snow forecasts, wind-chill advisories, or wind-chill warnings.

School may be cancelled or a remote learning day may be called due to weather conditions or other emergency conditions that make the operation of school facilities unsafe.  When school is canceled, all after-school activities, student events, athletic events and practices, and field trips will be canceled unless specifically announced by the school principal.

School closure decisions will normally be made before 5:30 a.m. on the day of closure. This allows weather conditions to be monitored overnight to avoid unnecessary closures. Closure decisions will only be made the night before if conditions are known for certain and warrant closure. In the event of a school closing or other emergency, parents and staff can expect to receive an automated phone call, email, and text. If you haven’t already done so, please sign up for text messages from the district by texting “YES” to 67587.  Emergency and closing information is also available on:

• The District and school websites,
• The District’s Facebook and Twitter accounts
• The Emergency Closings Center
• Local media outlets, including major radio and TV sources

Parents must update their contact information in Skyward during registration each year, and throughout the year if you change your phone number or email address. Parents can update information by logging into their Skyward account.  Staff should update personal phone numbers with Human Resources.

There are times when school is in session and inclement weather conditions develop during the school day.  In this case, the building principal uses the factors described above to guide their decision to cancel any scheduled after-school activities, student events, athletic events and/or practices, and field trips. When this happens, parents will be notified by email, and text once a decision is made.