With freezing rain forecasted for early Monday morning making for potentially difficult travel conditions, school districts around the Springfield area announced Sunday that they would go to e-learning or cancel classes.

School District 186 officials initially put families on alert late Sunday afternoon then announced at about 8 p.m. that it would use its second e-learning day of the school year.

The e-learning day plan allows students to receive asynchronous instruction at home, school officials pointed out in an email.

More: Freezing rain could cause havoc for commutes on Monday

Ball-Chatham, Staunton, Litchfield, Taylorville, Mt. Pulaski, Greenview, Pawnee, and Mt. Olive also announced an e-learning day.

Rochester, Riverton, and Williamsville-Sherman schools all canceled classes as did North Mac CUSD #34, which has schools in Girard and Virden and draws students from Sangamon, Macoupin, and Montgomery counties.

“Ensuring the safety of both our students and staff is our highest priority,” a Facebook message from Rochester read.

Also out of school on Monday are Sacred Heart Griffin High School, Lutheran High School, and Calvary Academy, in Springfield; and the Jacksonville, Petersburg PORTA, Beardstown, and Waverly school districts.

Springfield and most of central Illinois are under a winter weather advisory from 3 a.m. Monday to midnight Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service in Lincoln.

The advisory covers Sangamon, Logan, Cass, Menard, Scott, Morgan, and Christian counties.

School districts are allowed up to five e-learning days if they have adopted a plan approved by its Regional Office of Education. Language in those plans stipulates that the days can only be used in the event of inclement weather conditions when travel is unsafe.

School districts using emergency days will have to make up the days later in the school year.

Most school districts opted for e-learning or an emergency day Tuesday when wind chills plummet to minus-20.

The Springfield forecast includes precipitation for most of Monday, though temperatures were expected to warm up in the afternoon with freezing rain turning to rain.

This story will be updated.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: School districts cancel or go to e-learning ahead of freezing rain