Chicago Public Schools cancel classes for Tuesday due to dangerous cold
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Chicago Public Schools have canceled all classes for Tuesday amid dangerous cold.
In a notice to parents Monday afternoon, CPS advised that it had decided to cancel Tuesday's classes and after-school activities because of persistent frigid temperatures. CPS noted the National Weather Service has a wind chill warning in place on Tuesday, and the wind chills could reach 30 degrees below zero.
School is canceled altogether on Tuesday – there will not be remote learning. After-school activities that are canceled include athletic practices and games.
In deciding to close, CPS factored in the air temperature and wind chill, the amount of snow and ice on the ground, the ability of students and staff to get to school buildings safely, the accessibility of buildings and roads, the ability of school buses to get around, concerns about heating system or power outages, and the safety risks to employees – especially those who work outside such as crossing guards and Safe Passage workers.
Temperatures are supposed to moderate somewhat by Wednesday, and classes are expected to resume then.
Prior to 2011, CPS rarely closed its schools and it's still not very common.
The extreme cold in January 2019 shut down the system for two days. It also closed for two days in 2015 due to extreme cold. The same happened in 2014.
The system also shut down for a few days after the massive February blizzard in 2011. It was the first time CPS closed since 1999 for snow.
