Bourbonnais 53 District

Dear BESD53 Families, We are pleased to share that we have secured transportation solutions for tomorrow, and school will be in session as scheduled. Please be aware that while normal bus stops and regular pick-up/drop-off times will be utilized, you may notice that many buses will have different numbers than usual and may even display a different district name on the side. Rest assured that our regular BESD #53 bus drivers will be driving each route, ensuring a familiar and safe experience for our students. Thank you for your continued patience, understanding, and support over the past day. We are incredibly grateful that the coordination of our efforts — in collaboration with neighboring districts, service providers, and suppliers — has allowed us to minimize the disruption to our students’ learning. We look forward to welcoming students back to school tomorrow and continuing our commitment to providing safe, supportive, and high-quality education for all. With appreciation, Dr. Adam Ehrman Superintendent, BESD53

Dear BESD #53 Families, Thank you for your patience and cooperation during this unexpected and challenging situation. Earlier today, we were forced to cancel school due to a criminal act that rendered our entire bus fleet inoperable. This deliberate mechanical sabotage has deeply impacted our ability to safely transport students, and we are treating this situation with the utmost seriousness. We want to assure you that we are actively working on all fronts to restore transportation and resume school as soon as possible. Our team is: Collaborating with neighboring school districts to temporarily borrow buses, Working with our bus servicing companies to assess and repair the damage, and Engaging with parts suppliers to expedite the delivery of critical components. While we are encouraged by the tremendous support and willingness to help from our partners and surrounding communities, we cannot yet confirm whether school will be in session tomorrow. However, we are determined and hopeful that this egregious act will result in only a one-day disruption to our educational services. We will provide an update as soon as we can confirm school operations for tomorrow. Again, we deeply appreciate your support and understanding as we navigate this situation. Together, we will overcome this challenge and continue to serve our students and families with excellence. With gratitude, Dr. Adam Ehrman Superintendent, BESD53

**SCHOOL CLOSED** BESD53 Families, Due to an issue at our transportation center, our entire fleet of buses has been left inoperable. School will be closed for today, April 24, 2025. Further communication will be sent out later today.

We 💖our Bus Drivers and Bus Aides! Happy Bus Driver and Bus Aide Day🚍

FRI., APR 11: The Transportation Dept. has a number of drivers out sick today. and a number of routes have needed to be combined. Routes 6; 7; 14 & 17 may experience 10 minute delays with the pick-up. We apologize for the inconveniences.

Join Us on April 9th, 2025, from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Prior registration and sign-up are required! Our Kindergarten Readiness Night offers you and your child the opportunity to meet the district's kindergarten team and the building principals. In addition to a brief screening to assess the best fit for your incoming kindergartener, there will be a short presentation for parents and students about what to expect, along with valuable take-home information to help prepare your child during the summer. We look forward to meeting you and your new kindergartener! --------------------------------------------------- Únase a nosotros el 9 de abril de 2025, de 3:30 pm a 6:30 pm. ¡Es necesario registrarse previamente! Nuestra Noche de Preparación para el Kindergarten les ofrece a usted y a su hijo la oportunidad de conocer al equipo de kindergarten del distrito y a los directores de las escuelas. Además de una breve evaluación para determinar la mejor opción para su hijo/a que ingresa al kindergarten, habrá una breve presentación para padres y estudiantes sobre qué esperar, junto con información valiosa para llevar a casa que les ayudará a preparar a su hijo/a durante el verano. ¡Esperamos conocerlos a ustedes y a su nuevo/a estudiante!

Our Kindergarten Readiness Night offers you and your child the opportunity to meet the district's kindergarten team and the building principals. In addition to a brief screening to assess the best fit for your incoming kindergartener, there will be a short presentation for parents and students about what to expect, along with valuable take-home information to help prepare your child during the summer. We look forward to meeting you and your new kindergartener! Prior registration and sign-up are required!

Thanks for being a PIECE 🍕 of our SUCCESS!! One of the best events of the year!

Kindergarten Registration is now open! Please visit our website for more information about registering and our Kindergarten Readiness night! **Updated flyer with the correct date**

Wishing you a pot of gold and all the luck in the world! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

THURSDAY, MARCH 6: The Transportation Department is short staffed today and we are needing to be creative with some routing to transport our students to school. This morning some of our students may experience a 10 minute delay with pick-up. . We apologize for the inconvenience this causes and appreciate your patience during this time.

Representatives of the B53 PTA presented $20,000 in Grants to our District. We are very Thankful for this partnership and greatly appreciate the support for our students and staff.

“Let’s Ketchup made another donation to our district for their Care Closet initiative. We received non-perishable foods, snacks, clothing, and hygiene items meeting the needs from our youngest students in preschool up to our oldest in junior high. Thank you to the Shepard social work team for distributing these items amongst the other social workers to get it to students in need across all of our buildings.”

Our Poppin With Appreciation event was such a big hit. Sweet Street popped their amazing specialty popcorn for our whole staff!

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28: The Transportation Department is short staffed today and we are needing to be creative with some routing to transport our students to school. This morning some of our students may experience a 10-15 minute delay with pick-up. At this time we anticipate no delays with our afternoon routes. We apologize for the inconvenience this causes and appreciate your patience during this time.

Please be advised Bus 8 only will be arriving approx. 15 minutes late this morning. We apologize for the inconvenience. Liberty has been notified to of the delay and will not mark students tardy. We will operate a normal schedule this afternoon.

Apply now! https://www.applitrack.com/besd53/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=Administration

Due to today's power outage causing BUGC not to be in session, some Shabbona bus routes may be impacted by earlier than normal arrival times to bus stops. Buses that may be impacted are: 2; 3; 9; 10; 14; 15 and 16. Please be prepared that some of these buses may arrive to bus stops 10-20 minutes earlier than normal.

We wanted to make you aware that Bourbonnais Upper Grade Center experienced an electrical event this morning, resulting in a complete loss of power. The utility provider has indicated that repairs could take approximately four hours from now. Unfortunately, due to the lack of power and the time required for repairs, we will need to cancel school today, THURSDAY, February 13 for Bourbonnais Upper Grade Center. We understand this is an inconvenience and appreciate your understanding as we prioritize safety and a proper learning environment. Thank you for your flexibility, and we will keep you updated if there are any additional developments.

Dear Bourbonnais Elementary School District Families, Due to the winter storm forecasted to impact our area, we will be implementing a Schedule A – Early Dismissal for tomorrow, Wednesday, February 12, 2025, to prioritize the safety of our students and staff. While we cannot predict the weather with certainty, the current forecast provides enough data to warrant precautionary measures, and we appreciate your cooperation and patience. Schedule A - 3 Hour Release: Liberty: 7:30 AM – 10:30 AM BUGC: 8:05 AM – 11:10 AM Shabbona: 8:10 AM – 11:10 AM LeVasseur/Shepard: 8:45 AM – 11:45 AM No AM or PM Pre-K Community Services (Speech,OT/PT, etc.): Appointments in the afternoon will be rescheduled We understand that this may be a disruption to family schedules, but we hope that providing this information early allows for necessary preparations to be made. At this time, we anticipate that school will be in regular session on Thursday, February 13, 2025. As a reminder, we only send out communications if there is a change to the normal school schedule. Since we currently expect a regular school day on Thursday, no additional communication will be sent unless adjustments are necessary. We will assess road conditions after the storm, and if any changes to the schedule are needed, we will notify families as soon as possible. Please stay safe, use caution while traveling, and thank you for your understanding and support. Sincerely, Dr. Adam Ehrman