***updated at 3:55 p.m. with Thursday’s forecast and additional information from Superintendent Bob Green***

Collinsville Unit 10 has cancelled school for Thursday, Jan, 9, the fourth consecutive day district schools have been closed for bad weather.

Photo by Roger Starkey

Concerns about students being able to get to bus stops, and having a safe place to stand while waiting for buses, played a large role in the decision to cancel classes, Susan Frechman, administrative assistant to Superintendent Bob Green said.

The lack of clear sidewalks were a major concern, Green said. “We have a lot of small children that walk to their bus stop or to school, it isn’t safe for them to walk in the street,” Green said. “We are going to error on the side of the safety of the kids.”

Thursday is the fifth day this school year that classes have been cancelled. Each day that is missed throughout the year is added on to the end of the school calender, up to seven days, Frechman said. The last day of classes in the district, with the five snow days added, is scheduled for Friday, May 23.

Green said the same factors that forced Thursday’s cancellation will be weighed when determining if school will resume Friday. The National Weather Service is predicting snow and sleet overnight Wednesday and before 2 p.m. Thursday.

If school is closed again this year, students will have to return the day after Memorial Day. If seven or more days are lost to bad weather, May 28 would be the final day of the school year.

The conditions have not yet caused the girls basketball game, scheduled for 7 p.m. at Fletcher Gym, to be re-scheduled. Athletic Director Darin Lee said Collinsville and Belleville East – the Kahoks’ opponent Thursday – will take a “wait and see” approach to the game. A decision is expected by about noon, Thursday, Lee said.