In the event of an emergency, LTHS will contact parents via text, voicemail, and email communications, as well as on-screen alerts on the website.

Parents/Guardians are automatically signed up to receive notifications if they have provided appropriate contact information to the school through Infinite Campus. Any parent/guardian currently not receiving emails or calls from LTHS, should check their contact information in their Campus Portal. If the information is not current, please contact the Registrar's Office to update it. If parents/guardians have difficulties accessing Campus Portal, please email ITHelpDesk@lths.org. Those not receiving emails may also wish to check their spam folder.

During the school year, there are times when school may be closed. In most cases, school closures are the result of weather-related conditions. Safety is a priority for all of our students and families. Decisions regarding school closures or changes of schedule will be based on the overall conditions of the entire District. The Superintendent is responsible for the decision as to when school will be closed due to inclement weather or emergencies and classes will revert to e-learning. Parents and guardians make the ultimate decision to keep their children home during inclement weather. Those who choose not to send their children to school when the campuses are open are asked to contact the Attendance Office to have the student's absence recorded as excused.

Unless an announcement is made that school is closed, families must assume that school will be in session. Only closings, adjusted schedules, and e-learning will be announced.

Guidelines for School Closures

Safety First

During periods of inclement weather or in emergency situations, the safety and welfare of our students and staff are our first priority.  At the same time, to avoid disruption to learning and schedules, we make every effort to keep the school open or revert to e-learning when appropriate. Here are the primary factors considered when making the decision to close school and shift to e-learning:

• The safety and well-being of students and staff

• The severity of the weather (wind chill, heavy snow, etc.)

• Time of the weather events

• The ability of buses and cars to travel safely

• The operable condition of our buildings

Making the Decision

The Superintendent determines when and if conditions warrant the closing of school and shift to e-learning.  The decision is made in collaboration with the District administration, transportation staff, other area superintendents, and city departments. The National Weather Service (www.weather.gov) will be the primary meteorological source to determine and declare weather conditions such as snow forecasts, wind-chill advisories, or wind-chill warnings.

Notification to Families

Decisions regarding school closure and a shift to e-learning will normally be made by 5:30 a.m. on the day of closure. If conditions are known with a high degree of certainty and warrant closure, decisions will only be announced the night before, generally by 8:00 p.m.

In the event of a school closing or other emergency, families can expect to be notified in the following manner:

• District 205 website, https://www.lths.org/

• District 205 automated telephone, email, and text alert systems

• District 205 social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - @LockportHS205

Emergency and closing information is also available through the following sources:

• WGN’s Emergency School Closing Website: emergencyclosing.com 

• Local radio stations: WJOL (1340-AM), WSSR (96.7-FM), WRXQ (100.7-FM), and WCCQ (98.3-FM).

• Chicago radio and television stations: WGN (720-AM), WBBM (780-AM), CBS (Channel 2), NBC (Channel 5), ABC (Channel 7), FOX (Channel 32), WGN (Channel 9).

After-School Activities and Athletic Events

The following are general guidelines pertaining to after-school activities and athletic events for school closings:

• All after-school activities and field trips will be canceled unless specifically announced.

• All athletic events and practices will be canceled unless specifically announced.

• Non-District events that have event contracts to use District facilities will be canceled unless specifically announced.

⚠️ Emergency Days

District 205 builds five emergency days into the school calendar. With the availability of e-learning as an alternative to closing school, the likelihood of LTHS requiring emergency days is greatly reduced.

In the event of an emergency e-learning day: 

• Students will check in with their class teacher at the start of each class period via the Google Meet link in their Google Classroom. 

• Students will follow appropriate instructions from the teacher and complete tasks for the allotted time. This check-in will be how attendance is taken for the school day. 

• Students in the modified program will have a hardcopy packet that will be given to parents at the start of the year so they may have it in the event of an Emergency e-Learning Day being activated. 

Each day school is closed, one additional emergency day will be added at the end of the year. Families are strongly discouraged from scheduling travel or other events during the emergency days at the end of the school year.

❄️ Wind Chill

If the temperature reaches or is forecasted to reach negative double digit (-10) degrees and is expected to sustain at such level, the District will strongly consider closing due to increased risk of exposure for students at bus stops.

If the temperature with wind chill reaches or is forecasted to reach -25 degrees or below and is expected to sustain at such level, the District will strongly consider closing due to the increased risk of exposure for students at bus stops.