Emergency School Closing

NSSEO will follow these general guidelines when closing schools for winter-related incidents:

• Schools will be closed if there is a forecasted sustained wind chill of -30 degrees fahrenheit or colder or when the actual temperature is a sustained -15 degrees fahrenheit or colder between the travel times of 5:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. and/or 2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. NSSEO will use forecasts provided by the National Weather Service.
• For snow, ice, or other weather-related closings, NSSEO will monitor the current conditions, confer with member districts as the group assesses the forecasted conditions between the travel times listed above, the ability of our staff to plow parking lots as well as the ability of local municipalities to plow and make streets passable. NSSEO will be in close contact with our transportation companies to assess their ability to safely run buses and operate the bus lift features..NSSEO will also be in contact with our member district leaders and appropriate community and district representatives to collaboratively determine the most appropriate decision based on the facts known at that respective time.  
• If school will be closed, NSSEO will make the notification by 5:30 a.m. the day of the closing knowing that you may need to arrange for childcare or other schedule changes. If we are able to make the determination the night before to close school – meaning the forecast undoubtedly warrants closure – we will attempt to notify you between 6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. 
• Typically, we send out a telephone SchoolMessenger notice when closing school. NSSEO will also update its website, social media accounts (detailed below), and the Emergency Closing Center website (www.emergencyclosingcenter.com) as soon as a decision has been made. 
• In the event the decision to close school is made after 9:30 p.m., we will not usually send out a telephone SchoolMessenger notice, as the system can sometimes take up to an hour or so to complete all calls.  NSSEO will send out the telephone SchoolMessenger notice by 5:30 a.m. the following morning. 
• When school is closed due to inclement weather, all extracurricular programs and school meetings (except for Board meetings) are canceled.  
• It is important to remind you that Illinois School Code and NSSEO policy allows parents to call their student(s) out, as excused, in the event that NSSEO keeps schools open and, as a family, you have concerns about your child’s travel during difficult weather conditions.

For the most timely and official information regarding school closures and the potential use of an e-learning day in lieu of an emergency day, please log on to our website www.nsseo.org.  We will also provide the information through social media – Twitter (@NSSEO_org) and Facebook (NSSEO). As always, the safety and security of our students and staff remains a top priority of NSSEO.  

Visit the emergency closing website.