Inclement Weather causing several school cancellations

By Gary Scott on December 19, 2016 at 7:53am

Continued cold fronts and hazardous conditions are causing a number of area schools to close their doors today.

Brief snowfall and some freezing rain from late last week and this weekend still linger due to below-freezing temperatures.

As for cancellations, all schools and offices within Jacksonville School District 117 will be closed today due to parking lots and sidewalks being covered in ice and therefore unsafe. In addition, all events and practices pertaining to School District 117 are cancelled.

District 117 Superintendent Steve Ptacek said in a statement yesterday that the district would prefer that everyone stay off of district parking lots and driveways in order for the salt to effectively work.

Ptacek says he will be evaluating the status of parking lots and sidewalks today to make a decision about tomorrow.

Other school closings in the area include: Barry/Western, Beardstown, Franklin Community Unit #1, Greenfield, Jacksonville Head Start, Our Saviour’s Grade School, Routt High School, Salem Lutheran School, The Nursery School, Triopia Unit #27 and Winchester Unit #1.

Also, the Springfield Urban League Head Start is cancelled, as well as the Christmas program. Lafayette will return to school Wednesday. Walnut has announced they will return on Tuesday.

As of now, final exams originally scheduled for today are postponed until Tuesday until otherwise noted. Tuesday’s final exams will be moved to “a later time.”

Any and all other school cancellations will be announced as soon as that information becomes available.