July 9, 2025 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

SJO, PVO and St. Joe Grade cancel classes for Wednesday


St. Joseph-Ogden High School will not have classes on Wednesday and they will have a 2-hour delayed start on Thursday.


Superintendent Brian Brooks said the district does not take the decision to cancel class lightly.


With forecasts calling for a high of -8 degrees and wind chills of -35 or below, Brooks said student safety is paramount.


“We don’t have a set number in regards to canceling school, as the other weather conditions on that particular day can play a role as well,” Brooks said. “If the wind chill is around -20 to -25 degrees Fahrenheit, but the roads are clear, we may have school as we can provide warmth on the school buses and within the school building.  Whereas, a day when you have blowing snow on top of those temperatures may change our decision on whether or not to have school.”


Brooks said the high school district receives different feedback from parents when deciding to cancel school than the district’s feeder districts of St. Joseph Grade and Prairieview-Ogden. Brooks said SJO doesn’t have very many students that walk to school or many students that stand at a bus stop and ride a bus to school.


“The majority of our students either drive to school, ride to school with another high school student or are dropped off by their parents,” he said.
Brooks said it is important for the district to remain on the same schedule as the two feeder schools as much as possible regarding snow and emergency days due to parent feedback that shows high school students watch their younger siblings when school is canceled.


“Even if we, as a high school district, might feel our students would be safe to be in school that day, if our two feeder school districts have concerns about the safety of their elementary students and are going to cancel school, there is a good chance we would be out of school that day,” Brooks said.


The three school districts discuss any potential weather cancelations since they share bus services, Brooks said.


The 2-hour delayed start is relatively new to all three districts. PVO Superintendent Vic White approached Superintendent Todd Pence of St. Joseph Grade School and Brooks to see if the districts would be interested in re-visiting the option.


The delayed start is used when the districts are concerned about student safety due to road conditions or temperatures early in the morning but the conditions and temperatures are supposed to be much better later in the morning and throughout the day.


“It is an option to allow us to not use one of our five emergency days that are built into the school calendar, and save those days for the days in which the winter weather is too severe all day to have school,” Brooks said.


PVO will have no school on Wednesday with all games and practices canceled. They will also have a 2-hour delayed start on Thursday.

St. Joseph Grade School will be closed on Wednesday and also have a 2-hour delayed start on Thursday. Middle School students should be at school on Thursday between 9:35 a.m. and 10:05 a.m. and grade school students should arrive at school on Thursday between 9:45 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.
The bus will pick up students two hours later than normal.

in Schools
Banner
Related Posts

2021 SJO honors night

May 13, 2021

May 13, 2021

On Wednesday St. Joseph-Ogden High School announced the winners of scholarships. The winners are listed below. National Merit Scholarship (commendation)...

St. Joseph middle school 8th grade high honor roll

June 7, 2023

June 7, 2023

LAST NAME FIRST NAME Ahart Lillian Benoit Zachary Burnett Colin Clark Elizabeth Crider Abigail Dahl Hayden Davis Iris Downs Justin...

Get to know Dan Thompson

March 21, 2025

March 21, 2025

Dan Thompson is running for St. Joseph Grade School Board. What motivated you to run for school board? I was...

White reflects on time at PVO

May 26, 2020

May 26, 2020

By DAVE HINTONRantoul Press editor ROYAL — Earlier in the week, Vic White, retiring superintendent of Prairieview-Ogden school district, said...

St. Joseph 7th Grade Honor Roll

November 9, 2021

November 9, 2021

Albrecht, Samuel Benoit, Zachary Canamore, Willis Colvin, Jaxson Ditchfield, Nickolas Downs, Justin Ennis, Jameson Gaines, Leah Garrett, Elijah George, Gunnar...

PVO Junior High 8th grade honor roll

April 27, 2023

April 27, 2023

8th Grade Highest Honors (3.7-4.0)Alec BowlinAnna HammondGarrett LoschenMason RammDennis RinebergJack WearEmerson WilliamsDalton York 8th Grade High Honors (3.4-3.69)Cylas HintonAvrianna LyttleKaden...

SJO Winter Sports Letter/Awards Winners

March 20, 2023

March 20, 2023

Dance TeamKatie EarleyCourtney MyrenSamantha BeetzGrace GettyTaylyn LockhartOlivia GettyReese WheatleyMadison WolkenAbby GettyLily RiceGracyn Sjoken MIP- Lily RiceDance Your Heart Out Award-...

Harper finds positive outlet in music

December 10, 2019

December 10, 2019

St. Joseph-Ogden sophomore Lauren Harper loves to sing. That is why she loves the choir. “It’s basically the time where...

SJO seniors earn $2 million in scholarships

June 14, 2019

June 14, 2019

The senior class at St. Joseph-Ogden High School received $2 million in scholarship money. Principal Gary Page told the Board...

5 Questions with Al Pearman

April 16, 2023

April 16, 2023

Al Pearman plays Ben in St. Joseph-Ogden’s “The Descendents”. We asked Al five questions before the final show today at...

SJO “We the People” fundraising for nationals

January 22, 2019

January 22, 2019

Gage Atwood loves a challenge. The St. Joseph-Ogden High School senior challenged himself this year by joining two very different...

Live at SJO school board, Dec. 17, 2024

December 17, 2024

December 17, 2024

Now I am here. They were apparently in closed for a while. #idkwhattheywerediscussing #itsalllegal They are discussing facility project updates...

St. Joseph Middle School 5th grade high honor roll

June 7, 2023

June 7, 2023

LAST NAME FIRST NAME Bacon Adalyn Barnhart June Bronowski Elijah Burnett Ethan Crackel Bowen Daniel Jocelyn Dirksmeyer Claire Fisher Camden...

SJO announces academic letter winners for the 2020-21 school year

October 12, 2021

October 12, 2021

Thanks to Appl Sanitary for sponsoring our honor rolls and academic awards posts. St. Joseph-Ogden High School hosted an Academic...

Comments
Leave a Reply