Ten of Chicago's 594 schools suffered electrical and heatingproblems and 11 had no bus service Tuesday as the school systemweathered the season's first snowstorm, school officials reported.
About 50 bus routes serving public schoolchildren experienceddelays, they reported.
There is no room in the Board of Education's calendar to make upschool days that might be lost to bad weather, but Supt. Manford ByrdJr. said that "was not the governing thing here" in deciding to keepschools open.
"We've had much heavier snows and gone ahead with classes," hesaid, adding that "not all schools" in the metropolitan area closed.
The severity of Chicago's problems varied.
It was school as usual at DePriest, 140 S. Central, whereelectricity went out at 5 a.m. but was restored at 8:40 a.m., saidWilliam Trimble, the school's engineer-custodian. The building wasstill warm when children arrived, he added.
Both Burr, 1621 W. Wabansia, and Chase, 2021 N. Point, emptiedout by late morning, however, because electricity had not beenrestored, said District 6 Supt. Olga Kaszubowski.
About half the children showed up for classes even though thearea lacked electricity, she said, adding that most parents returnedto pick up their youngsters. Ten children finally walked to a nearbyschool, she said.
About 38 percent of the children and 30 percent of teachers andother staff members in the Near Northwest Side district did notreport for school, Kaszuwbowksi reported.
"Let us say this has been a day for flexibility," she said.
Similar attendance figures were reported in District 1 on theFar Northwest Side. No citywide totals were available.
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