U-46 closed for third day in a row

The largest school district in the suburbs will be closed for the third day in a row on Friday.

Elgin Area School District U-46 announced Thursday afternoon that the more than 50 schools in the district, which spans 11 municipalities, will be closed Friday as the area continues to recover from the snowstorm.

All activities scheduled for this weekend in the district, which includes five large high schools, have been canceled. Some of those events will be rescheduled. U-46 athletes can still attend contests held at buildings outside the district.

The district has not been closed for three days straight in at least four years. Chicago Public Schools will be open Friday, although buses are not running, according to the school district’s website.

According to U-46 news release, the 27,000 miles of roads traversed by district buses each day are not yet completely clear of ice and snow. While most main streets are clear, many side streets along bus routes are still impassable or too narrow to navigate.

Sidewalks are also an issue in a district where an estimated 15,000 kids walk to their neighborhood schools every day.

“Most walkways are still blocked for students,” U-46 spokesman Tony Sanders said. “We don’t want them out on streets that are currently one lane.”

“Before we can reopen, a lot of work must be done beyond shoveling snow,” Superintendent Jose Torres said in a statement. “Our crews will begin hauling away the mountains of snow from our buildings, ensuring all fire exits are clear and checking all ventilator units to make sure they are not blocked.”

Classes are scheduled to resume Monday, and the district’s central offices at 355 E. Chicago St., Elgin, will be open during business hours Friday.

Because three snow days have been used, the last day of school as of now will be June 8. It was originally scheduled for June 3. Graduation for seniors will not be affected.