As we gear up for colder weather, I wanted to share information as to how the decision to
cancel school on cold or snowy days is made. The decision to cancel school is one that we take
very seriously with the understanding that our goal is to attend school when possible. Obviously,
the safety of our students is always our focus. Many factors are considered when making the
decision. We start with the forecast and then the current weather conditions. To get the most
accurate information possible, the National Weather Service’s website: www.weather.gov is
used. Unfortunately, as you are well aware, forecasts change and are not always accurate. For
that reason, current conditions must be monitored starting early each morning that the weather is
in question.
Additionally, we use local weather stations to get the most accurate temperature and wind
readings as possible. This is extremely important when the concern is the wind chill. The
National Weather Service’s Wind Chill Chart is used to help determine when the wind chill
becomes too dangerous for our students.
Based on the information provided by the NWS, frostbite becomes a possibility after 10
minutes of exposure in extreme conditions. We know this can be a problem for our students
waiting for buses or walking to school. To reach that 10 minute level, the wind chill would need
to be at least -32. A wind chill factor of -25 has always been our general target for canceling
school. If temps are between -20 and -25, there is leeway depending on any other variables that
come into play (i.e. road conditions, forecast, snow, etc.).
As is always the case, we will do our best to provide you with as much advance notice as
possible when it is necessary to cancel school. It is our goal to make a decision regarding a
cancellation by 6:00 A.M. whenever possible. When that decision is made, it will be shared with
parents using our “blast” system and social media as well as tv station alerts.
A reminder that Pekin Community High School has an E-Learning Plan, which allows for
our emergency days to be counted as an “E-Learning Day” versus taking the traditional snow
day. Please see this link for more information regarding our E-Learning Plan.
Again, thank you for your assistance and understanding as we continue to deal with our
Central Illinois winter weather. We will continue to make decisions regarding cancellations that
keep all of our students and staff safe.
Dr. Danielle Owens