Winter weather reminder from Unit 5

Prairieland Parents,


The following is a winter weather reminder from Unit 5.

Ready or not, winter weather has arrived. As we move into this time of year, weather conditions may require us to alter our school schedule.

Student and staff safety is the ultimate factor when deciding if school should be cancelled. The decision-making process begins just after midnight with monitoring of the forecast, calls to law enforcement for information on road conditions and consultation with other area school districts. Also, district officials physically drive throughout McLean County in the early morning hours to inspect bus routes. Every attempt will be made to make the decision to close school by 5:30 a.m., at the latest.

As soon as a decision is made, the information will appear immediately on the Unit 5 Web site. That is the fastest way to learn about a school closure. It will also be featured through local media outlets, including radio and television. A School Reach message will be sent as soon as a decision is made. Please understand that School Reach places more than 15,000 calls and it may take up to an hour for these calls to be completed, so the Web site and other forms of media could get you the information faster.

Unit 5 encourages parents to make arrangements now for the care of their children in the event there is a schedule change and to be alert to possible announcements when weather conditions suggest that a change in school schedule might be necessary.