Winter break is just around the corner, so I thought this might be a good time to remind you how decisions are made to close or keep schools open during inclement weather.

The decision to close District 153 schools rests with me. There is no specific temperature that will automatically trigger a decision to close the schools.  However, special consideration is given when temperatures are below zero or wind chills fall below -20.  

Among the factors I consider are these:

What other school districts are choosing to do is also taken into consideration, but frankly, it is a lesser one. Each school district has its own unique local factors to take into consideration, therefore what another school district decides may not be the right decision for District 153.

It is always a parent's prerogative to keep their child home from school.. A parent need only call the school to report their child's absence.

When the District plans to close schools, the announcement is immediately posted on our website, hsd153.org, and to our school district Facebook page. The information is also sent to local news outlets, but we have no control over how quickly or accurately that information is disseminated.

Families will also receive a telephone call from our emergency automated telephone service either the night before or early in the morning of a school closure.  PLEASE LISTEN TO ALL TELEPHONE MESSAGES FROM DISTRICT 153. During a closure, no one will be here to answer your question if you try to call the school or district office to ask what the telephone call was about.

Here's to a mild winter!

Sincerely,

Dr. Dale Mitchell

Superintendent

Tom Brabec served on the District 153 Board of Education for 18 years before he stepped down in 2015. To honor his example of selfless service, District 153 observes an annual "Day of Community Service" in December. Each school conducts events that, in some way, serve the community...just as Tom did for us. 

Congratulations to the 380 Panthers who have earned a spot on the first trimester honor roll! Students who made high honor roll have earned grade point averages (GPAs) between 3.75 and 4.00. Students who made honor roll have GPAs between 3.25 and 3.74.

6th-Grade High Honor Roll

Daniel Artis, Peyton Bell, Louis Bloomberg, Kendall Brooks, Elijah Burr, Cameron Cage, Caiden Campbell, Leo D Astici, Abigail Dean, Ella Dedo, Alex Fox, Kenneth Fox, Margaret Franc, Melanie Garofalo, Nyla Huddleston, Zainab Ibrahim, Andrew Johnson, Andrea Kearns, Destinee Lane, Sydni Leverson, Matthew Lively, Ava Loudon, Evelyn Malvestuto, Cameron Massatt, Nyla McGowan, Morgan Mollett, Ruby Moxley, Nevis Myers, Aubrey Ooms, Jazmin Rhodes, Harrison Riney,  Alexis Schaller, Delani Scheutzow, Addison Sextonson, Jacob Sline, Mia Starkenburg, Emma Steiner, Kaiden Stine, Madyson Stine, Davin Ulmer, Sydney Valentine, Hailey Van Offelen, Madison Vitolka, Amy Ward, Catrell Washington, Isabella Woodward, Oliver Zigmund, Sari Zinnerman, Sani Zinnerman, Audrey Zirbel 

Moesha Adetunji, Aniya Adkins, David Anderson, Anna Arrivo, Andrea Ascencio, Jason Ballard, Dylan Barnas, Jack Barry, Sareniah Bennett, Asia Bing, Phoebe Bosch, Emmanuelle Bouyer, Adriana Chavez, Adrian Chavez, Leshon Courts, Miranda Douglas, Brooklyn Edwards, Ashley Esparza, Anthony Fanelli, Kiera Flanigan, Tori Frangella, Citlally Gabriel, Mallory Garcia, Connor Garhammer, Damarien Green, Dyllan Hanna, Mason Harvey, Dillon Head, Emilia Hilgen, Timothy Hoekstra, Nashawn Holmes, Georgia Holt, Emma Humes, Alexandria Jacox-Washington, Patience Jones, Amina Kendrick, Makiya Knazze, Aden Kozel, Andrew Labno, Jared Lampkin, Alyssa Latham, Amira Lowery, Graham MacLeod, Kailyn Marsh, Aaron McIntyre, Georgia Mott, Korey Mulling, Berlinda Nwachukwu, Alexander Pease, Lola Pohrte, Tyler Rhaburn, Mason Richert, Alexandria Rickabaugh, Savannah Roberts, Jeremiah Ryan, Charles Sales, Jenna Simpson, James Sperti, Adrianna Stansbury, Grace Suchor, Imoni Taylor, Lily Temple, Saniyah Thomas, KeAndrea Tolbert, Naomi Tolbert-Rias, Abigail Webb, Allison Webb, Kaiden Wesley, Alexander Williams, Jaiden Williams, Jana Williams, Nicholas Williams