District 200 announced that Oak Park and River Forest High School will remain open on Monday, January 26. The decision comes as the area continues to experience very cold temperatures, with wind chills forecasted between -15 and -20 degrees through noon.
In a statement, the district said, “We are continuing to closely monitor weather conditions as very cold temperatures persist. Wind chills between -15 and -20 degrees are forecast through noon. Please take extra precautions to dress warmly and minimize time outdoors whenever possible.”
The school serves grades 9 to 12 in Oak Park and Cook County, with an enrollment of 3,393 students during the 2019-2020 school year according to the Illinois Report Card (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). Of these students, grade 10 had the highest concentration at 26.2 percent (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/), while grade 9 accounted for 25.6 percent (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/), grade 11 made up 25.4 percent (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/), and grade 12 comprised 25.3 percent (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
Demographically, the student body in that year was composed of approximately 56.9 percent white students, 18.2 percent black students, 12.6 percent Hispanic students, and 3.8 percent Asian students (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
The district expressed appreciation for community cooperation during this period of extreme cold: “Thank you for your partnership in helping us keep our community safe during this period of extreme cold.”
