Superintendent Dr. Kristen Weikle outlined how McLean County Unit District No. 5 decides whether to hold in-person classes, shift to an e-learning day or cancel school during inclement weather at the Jan. 28 board meeting.

While the district’s first priority is safety, Weikle said, those decision,can be difficult when Bloomington-Normal is in “the heart of winter weather.”

While Unit 5 prefers to keep students learning on scheduled school days, Weikle said the district’s size and geography can complicate the decision-making process.

“We are a really large district,” Weikle said. “We cover more than 214 square miles, and conditions can really vary drastically across our district.” 

Forecasting and coordination

Weikle said the district works with the National Weather Service office in Lincoln for “accurate and up-to-date forecast” information. When severe weather is expected, district leaders may begin monitoring conditions late at night and early in the morning, she said.

“When severe weather is forecasted, many of us are up very late and up very early,” Weikle said.

District leaders also consult community partners before making a call, Weikle said.

“We work with local emergency management agencies to assess road conditions and community safety,” Weikle said. “And then we work with the county, the town and the city to gather local perspectives.”

Because weather can hit different areas unevenly, Weikle said, the district considers how conditions across communities may affect transportation and access.

Choosing between e-learning and a snow day

If in-person learning is not feasible, Weikle said the district weighs whether students and staff can realistically participate online.

When deciding between an e-learning day and a traditional snow day, Weikle said leaders consider device access and the likelihood of reliable internet service.

“Do our elementary students in particular have the devices at home?” Weikle said. “Is there a strong likelihood that we’re going to have internet connectivity, or is there a lot of ice on power lines that would impede students and staff being able to connect to the internet?”

Weikle said leaders also look at instructional continuity, including whether students have had back-to-back e-learning days and how long they have been away from in-person instruction.

State limits and calendar pressure

Weikle said Illinois regulations limit districts to five e-learning days approved by the Illinois State Board of Education each school year.

Those e-learning days, Weikle said, do not need to be made up, “whereas a traditional snow day or emergency day of some sort, those things do have to be added to the end of the school year calendar.”

Weikle also cited community feedback collected earlier this year in the district’s decision making process. Nearly 70% of more than 2,800 Unit 5 stakeholders said they prefer e-learning days, while about a quarter of remaining respondents preferred a mix of e-learning, snow days and emergency days.

Weikle said the district also considers that most survey respondents want the school year to end before Memorial Day, adding pressure to use e-learning rather than days that would extend the calendar.

“Not everything aligns perfectly”

Weikle said the district must balance safety, technology and community preferences—and that conflicts are inevitable.

“When faced with inclement weather, the district has to look at safety, technology and community wants, and sometimes not everything aligns perfectly,” Weikle said.

Weikle said district leaders understand some families will disagree with any decision, but she said safety remains the top concern.

School administrators, Weikle said, do the best ”for students and families. First and foremost, we want to make sure our students are safe before coming to school.”