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Chicago Public Schools To Close Monday Due To Cold

UPDATE: 5:24 p.m.

CHICAGO (CBS) -- CPS cancelled school for Monday saying below zero temperatures and high winds will make it dangerous for getting to and from school.

"The safety and well-being of our students is paramount," said CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett in a statement. "The decision to close schools is never easy. However, based on the severity of the weather we are expecting Monday, I am confident that this decision is in the best interest of CPS students."

Chicago Public Schools To Close Monday Due To Cold

Temperatures are expected to remain frigid as CPS will decide by noon Monday whether to cancel classes on Tuesday.

The announcement came about much earlier than three weeks ago when the district was criticized for taking too long to tell parents about days off due to the cold.

Many suburban school districts also cancelled classes for Monday.

Aurora District 129 community relations director Mike Chapin says keeping schools open is just not worth the risk to the system's students.

"Quite frankly, with 6,000 kids walking to school and the other 6,000 standing at a bus stop, there is too much of a danger of them getting frostbite or hypothermia," said Chapin.

The Chicago Archdiocese left it up to each individual Catholic school as to whether it should open Monday.

For a full list of school closings, click here.

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