Update: The Shawnee Mission School District announced Sunday night that classes would be canceled on Wednesday for an expected Super Bowl parade.
Johnson County schools are already bracing for a possible Super Bowl parade next week that could lead to a cancelation of classes.
Both Olathe Public Schools and USD 232 in De Soto have alerted parents that if the Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, the districts plan to cancel school the expected day of a victory parade on Wednesday, Feb. 15.
Shawnee Mission district officials, likewise, are anticipating for that eventuality and say they will notify families of parade day plans as early as Sunday night if the Chiefs win.
The city of Kansas City, Mo., is planning for a possible Super Bowl parade on Wednesday, Feb. 15, and holding Thursday, Feb. 16, as a possible rain date.
Schools anticipate absences on parade day
- Alvie Cater, USD 232 spokesperson, told the Post via email the district closed school for the Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade in 2020 due to “metrowide concerns about available staffing and substitutes” coupled with families who planned to attend.
- Cater said USD 232 is anticipating similar situation this year, adding that the district is also considering there may be a shortage of bus drivers that day, too.
- SMSD spokesperson David Smith noted that the district canceled classes both in 2020 for the Chiefs’ parade and in 2015 for the Royals’ World Series victory parade and suggested a similar decision would be made this year if necessary.
Some USD 232 students already have a half day on Feb. 15
- Cater pointed out that the district knows potentially canceling school on Wednesday is disruptive for working families but that “it may be somewhat minimized” on Feb. 15 because students in grades K-8 are already scheduled for a half day.
- USD 232’s early childhood education is also scheduled to not be in session on that day.
Classes will be in session on Monday
- Still, no Johnson County districts at this time appear to be planning to cancel classes the Monday after the game.
- Brent Yeager, Olathe Public Schools superintendent, told families in an email on Feb. 8 that school will continue as scheduled on Monday, Feb. 13, regardless of the outcome.
- Cater said USD 232 is planning for school as normal on Feb. 13, too.
