Two of the largest school districts to have E-Learning Tuesday due to extreme cold
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Unit 5 in McLean County and Peoria Public Schools will both have E-learning days on Tuesday due to the bitter cold.
The move puts nearly 25,000 students in grades kindergarten through high school on their laptops at home.
Peoria will have no in-person instruction or school activities on Tuesday due to a high of 5 degrees and a projected windchill as low as -20, PPS said in a text message and also a voice message sent to parents.
“Due to expected severe wind chills on Tuesday, Jan. 21, we will be implementing an e-learning day exclusively for students. Please visit your school’s website to familiarize yourself with the e-learning plans for your student, and stay safe and warm during this period,” the message said from Peoria Public Schools.
And in a Facebook post, Unit 5 said much the same thing, that there would be no extracurricular activities in the morning but that a decision on afternoon practices would come by 3 p.m. Tuesday.
It’s not uncommon for districts to cancel school with weather like Tuesdays, due to the large number of children who walk to school or who have to stand outside waiting for a bus.
For each school’s e-learning plan, visit Peoria Public School’s Guide to E-Learning page, and teachers will be available for support during the day. For information on Unit 5’s e-learning plans, go to www.unit5.org.
Several other school districts are also having remote learning or delaying their start times. A full list of closings is available here.
In addition, Illinois State University will close on Tuesday and offer no classes — in person or remote, according to an email from the school.
“Due to forecasted wind chills Tuesday, Illinois State University and the University Laboratory Schools will be closed, reopening Wednesday. All classes (in-person, hybrid, and online) are canceled Tuesday and will not be delivered remotely. Residence halls and residential dining centers will remain open. All other campus buildings will be closed,” the university said.
The men’s basketball game scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday will continue as planned, the university said.
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