Schools Closed Monday January 15, 2024
Dear LCSD Staff and Families:
Student and staff safety is always our primary concern.
Due to the extensive amount of snow received this weekend and blowing snow predicted in the morning hours as a safety precaution we have made the difficult decision to close our schools and school facilities on Monday, January 15th.
Our community is expected to receive between 5 to 9 inches of snow throughout the day today. This is on top of the significant snow accumulation from yesterday. In addition to this, it is predicted that we will receive an additional 3-5 inches of snow overnight. Through the night and into the early morning it is also predicted that temperatures will significantly drop and the wind will increase with blowing snow causing windchill values in the negative teens during the morning hours.
Our maintenance team and contracted snow removal company have been working around the clock to clear our school grounds to keep up with the snow accumulation. They have worked more than 10 hours on Saturday, another 10 on Sunday, and will again make another round starting at midnight tonight. However, with more snow expected through the night, we anticipate an additional lengthy removal process throughout the day tomorrow to ensure there are no snow related safety hazards before opening school for our students, staff and family. We anticipate this will take additional time throughout the day tomorrow.
In addition to snow removal needs, the extreme windchill values and limited driving visibility due to blowing snow during bus route hours provides a safety concern for students walking to or waiting at bus stops. We also recognize that our staff and families must personally deal with the continued snow accumulation that is expected throughout the night. School and all school activities scheduled to take place in person are canceled on Monday.
Closing school is never our preference. We understand that it places a burden on parents and families. We carefully considered this decision in consultation with the Office of Emergency Management and we determined it was the best decision from a safety perspective. Given the forecast, we will reassess the weather tomorrow afternoon to make decisions regarding Tuesday.
Thank you!
Lake County School District
