AURORA | Aurora Public Schools and Pickens Technical College will be closed to students Friday because of a high number of staff absences, the district said.
The unexpected closure is apparently linked to a planned National Shutdown Day that calls for businesses to close and for people to stay out of stores, restaurants and schools. The shutdown is intended to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids by the Trump administration and to express solidarity with Minnesota, which has been a recent target for ICE enforcement actions.
District officials said the absences have grown to a level that would make it “unsafe” to open and operate schools.
As a result, all APS schools and Pickens Technical College will be closed to students Friday, and the day will be treated as a Professional Release Day that had been scheduled for Friday, Feb. 6. While that day was scheduled for school closures, it now will be open to students and a regular day of school, officials said.
Before- and after-school care will not be available Friday this week. Staff members who have not submitted notice of absence for tomorrow are still expected to report to their schools and sites as scheduled, the district said.
The district said free grab-and-go meals will be available at schools from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday.
Middle school athletics will be canceled, while high school athletics will proceed as scheduled, officials said.