Students Wear Coats, Hats in Some ‘Freezing' CPS Classrooms After Heavy Snowfall

Sunday night's snow storm knocked out power and at some Chicago Public Schools--but they stayed open and now frustrated parents want to know why.

District officials say at least 24 schools had some power loss Monday. Some parents NBC 5 talked to say they learned their kids school didn't have heat on Facebook. Others say their kids sent them texts saying they were cold. All say the district needed to do a better job of letting them know about the power problems.

A few hours after Ruben Beltran dropped his kids off at Nathan Hale Elementary School on the Southwest Side, he came back to pick them up. The snowstorm knocked out power to much of the school, leaving some classrooms without heat.

"They were cold and saying it was cold," Beltran said of his children. "Fortunately for me I didn’t have to work today."

Nicole Mazur said she had to leave work to pick up her daughter.

I know they want to keep schools open, but without power--someone should have contacted headquarters," she said "And send phone calls and let us be the decision makers ... if we ant to keep kids in a non-heated school."

Mazur's daughter, Ellison, said it was very cold in her school.

"We kept our coats on," she said. "I put three hats on cause I was freezing."

"And I told the teacher I'm freezing, she said it would get better (but) it got colder," Ellison added.

CPS said in a statement the vast majority of schools opened today without issue and nearly all of the approximately 20 schools that experienced some power loss were prepared to safely support students in their school buildings.

The district also says nearly all schools impacted by power loss have safe temperatures and partial power so they are able to safely remain open.

Some parents we talked to say they're glad the school stayed open.

"I think its really important they open," Marco Lucia Chavez said. "What else can we do?"

CPS says it anticipates that building operations will be fully operational for Tuesday's school day.

Officials also say schools will be in contact with parents regarding any potential updates.