March 29, 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

Kids Say….

April 5, 2019

April 5, 2019

Every week we ask five students from a local school to answer a question on a worksheet. This week the...

Emmert expresses himself via artwork

May 1, 2019

May 1, 2019

St. Joseph-Ogden senior Nathan Emmert loves creating art work. “I have always enjoyed making different kinds of art,” he said....

SJO third-quarter high honor roll

March 30, 2022

March 30, 2022

FreshmenBeckett, EJBenoit, AudreyBesson, WillBonny, SarahBrown, LandonClampitt, MadisonDavenport, AerolynDietiker, EllaDitchfield, LukeEnnis, JacksonFranzen, SavannaFunk, AddisonGerdes, TaytonGetty, OliviaHamilton, MakennahHarris, LaurenHesterberg, HaleyHouston, MaebreeKearney, SaraKindle,...

District asks residents to approve referendum

May 27, 2022

May 27, 2022

The St. Joseph CCSD #169 is asking residents to approve a tax increase. On June 28, the district is asking...

St. Joseph Middle School announces honor rolls

January 30, 2019

January 30, 2019

7th gradeHIGH HONORS Logan Allen Owen Baltzell Payton Carter Maya Chahine Rachel Divan Sadie Ericksen Joseph Frasca Addison Frick Logan...

Live at SJO school board, January 23, 2023

January 23, 2023

January 23, 2023

I am here until 8 p.m cause Matt has to go back into work. They are discussing sports field placement...

St. Joseph Middle School 6th Grade High Honor Roll

November 14, 2023

November 14, 2023

FIRST NAME LAST NAME Jovie Anderson Adalyn Bacon June Barnhart Elijah Bronowski Ethan Burnett Bowen Crackel Kolton Cruz Cameron Daly...

Donation could change the face of sports and activities at SJO

February 16, 2021

February 16, 2021

An anonymous donor has made St. Joseph-Ogden High School an offer they couldn’t refuse. And because of it, SJO athletic...

Hallett is new SRO in place at St. Joseph, PVO schools

September 10, 2019

September 10, 2019

Champaign County Sheriff’s Deputy Shawn Hallett has always held the police in high regard. “As a child, I remember having...

St. Joseph Grade School updates parents on COVID concerns

August 31, 2021

August 31, 2021

Fifty-five students from St. Joseph Grade School are in quarantine for exposure to COVID-19. Forty-two of those students are related...

SJO FFA holds petting zoo

February 21, 2019

February 21, 2019

An annual tradition is taking place at St. Joseph-Ogden High School today—the SJO FFA petting zoo to celebrate National FFA...

St. Joseph Middle School 6th grade high honor roll

June 7, 2023

June 7, 2023

LAST NAME FIRST NAME Barbee Charlene Bewley Reid Blunier Brady Buckley Nora Buhs Ella Chahine Sophia Christians Charlotte Clark Grant...

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 2021-2022 1st Quarter High Honor Roll

October 29, 2021

October 29, 2021

Freshmen Barton, RylieBeckett, EJBenoit, AudreyBonny, SarahBrown, LandonClampitt, MadisonCoffey, HaydenDavenport, AerolynDewese, LaurenDietiker, EllaDitchfield, LukeEnnis, JacksonFranzen, SavannaFunk, AddisonGaines, KaidenGerdes, TaytonGetty, OliviaHamilton, MakennahHarms,...

St. Joseph Middle School announces 8th grade honor rolls

April 16, 2019

April 16, 2019

8th GRADE HIGH HONORS McGwire Atwood Kaytlyn Baker Olivia Baltzell Tyler Burch Ariana Chambers Maddux Carter Aiden Cromwell Zachary Dahman...

Comments
Leave a Reply