Please see the message below from Shannon Ferholz, Regional Superintendent of Schools regarding clarification about Act of God days.
Each school board is required by law to annually prepare a calendar for the school term that specifies both the opening and closing dates of the term. The proposed calendar must provide a minimum term of at least 185 days that includes five emergency days.
Emergency days may be used at the discretion of the district. An emergency day must be made up prior to the end of the school year. The School Code mandates that a minimum of five proposed emergency days must be built into the proposed public school calendar. Any unused emergency days must be taken off prior to submitting the final public school calendar (105 ILCS 5/10-19).
Act of God (AOG) days may only be applied for after the district has exhausted all the proposed emergency days built into the proposed calendar. AOG days are used for a condition beyond the control of the district that poses a hazardous threat to the health and safety of the students. These days must be approved by the Regional Superintendent and the State Superintendent of Education. AOG days reduce the required number of student attendance days in the public school calendar (105 ILCS 5/18-12).