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Another Snow Day For Many Schools, Thanks To Power Outages

ORLAND PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- Several Chicago area schools were closed Wednesday due to the snow, in most cases because a winter storm knocked out power.

WBBM Newsradio's Bernie Tafoya reports more than 1,000 students from Orland Junior High School and High Point Elementary School were among those getting an extra snow day on Wednesday.

"My understanding is that a limb hit a power line, and it caused both of our schools to be out of power," said High Point Principal Cheryl Foertsch.

Winter Storm Knocks Out Power To Several Schools

Orland School District 135 Supt. Janet Stutz said she was notified this morning the two schools lost power during the storm, so she had to make a split-second decision to close them and notify everyone on time.

"You have children that are trying to get out to the buses. Most of our children are bused. You have teachers that are trying to get in, and if we wouldn't have had power until 10, 11, or 12, then what are you going to do?" she said.

Still, not everyone got word of the closing in time. Luby Vasiljevic drove her daughters to school, only to find out about the power outage.

"We could have all slept in, that's my only thing," she said.

The surprise day off didn't seem to faze parent Ed Ryan.

"It's one of those winters," he said.

Students won't have to make up the unexpected day off.

"This campus will not, because the majority of the district is open. We will not. They kind of get a freebie," Stutz said.

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