After waiting nearly a pandemic-impacted year to get back into the classroom, students and staff at Evanston/Skokie School District 65 will have to wait one more day … again.
The district’s hybrid plan was supposed to begin Tuesday. But because of the huge snowfall, the opening had been moved to Wednesday.
Now, it is being pushed back again, to Thursday. In a memo to the District 65 community, Superintendent Devon Horton says, “Due to historic snowfall in Evanston (18 inches in 36 hours), transportation issues, and potential staffing concerns,” Wednesday will now be another remote learning day.
Horton says while main streets have been plowed, “side streets and alleys are still largely inaccessible for so many throughout our community.” He also says while District crews have been “working around the clock” to clear parking lots, driveways, and entryways to school buildings, it has been “proving quite challenging given the large quantity of snow and equipment limitations.”
Horton also says the District’s bus company has already been told that a “significant number” of drivers would not be able to get to work on Wednesday, which would have a major impact on student transportation.
Under the District 65 hybrid model, approximately half of the system’s 7,000-plus students will attend school in person, while the rest will continue to learn remotely. Parents and guardians had a choice of picking one option or the other for their children.