Kansas City, Kan., Public Schools, Bonner Springs-Edwardsville Public Schools, Turner Public Schools, Piper Public Schools and Kansas City Kansas Community College are among the schools that have canceled classes on Tuesday so that people can attend a Royals celebration in Kansas City, Mo.
The Unified Government also has announced it will close during the Royals parade, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with public safety and court operations staying open.
“We join students, faculty and staff who arrived on campus this morning extremely happy and excited over the Kansas City Royals’ World Series win,” said KCKCC President Doris Givens. “After much discussion, it was decided that on Tuesday, Nov. 3, we will join MCC, JCCC and local school districts in closing to celebrate the World Series. We can enjoy a ‘Royal’ world championship celebration that was 30 years in the making.”
The Kansas City, Kan., Public Schools sent parents this message:
“The historic victory of the Royals in the World Series has created both immense joy across the Metro area, and challenges for area school districts. With the victory parade scheduled for tomorrow, the district is receiving the question about whether we will be open or not. Our very strong preference is ordinarily that, if we can get students to and from school safely, school should be open. We believe that school is the best place for students to be, and that their learning is the most important thing they could be doing. We also make that commitment to you as parents that if we can be open, we will be, when we set the calendar for the year.
“However, with a number of the large districts in the area having already decided to close, and the lack of availability of substitutes, we will face major challenges in providing a safe and appropriate learning environment for all of our students. For that reason, we have made the decision to close the district tomorrow, November 3, 2015. This closure will include both schools and Central Office. If there was a way to have schools open tomorrow, we would, but safety and productivity have to be considered.
“We apologize for the inconvenience. We hope that you and your children will have a safe day tomorrow, and perhaps a chance to celebrate a little.”
In a note on its Facebook page, the Piper Public Schools stated, “Due to the circumstances of not being able to adequately staff all schools, Piper School District has decided to cancel school tomorrow, Nov. 3.”
In a phone message to parents, the Bonner Springs-Edwardsville School District stated:
“After much consideration USD 204 has decided to cancel school for Tuesday, Nov. 3. As our community rallies around the Royals World Series win, there is a concern that a lack of substitute teachers and a high number of student absences would make it difficult for our schools to provide quality instruction. We encourage families and staff to enjoy tomorrow’s festivities. School will resume on Nov. 4.”
The Turner Public Schools posted this message on its Facebook page:
“The Turner School District is cancelling all classes on November 3rd, 2015. Due to the scheduling of the Royals celebration, there is concern about low student attendance and adequate staffing. The district will explore ways to make up the lost instructional time. Details will be made available at a later date.”