It was Friday, March 13, and for teachers at Juliette Low Elementary School in Arlington Heights, the bad luck tied to the date proved prescient.

Concerns about the coronavirus had prompted Community Consolidated School District 59 to shutter its 15 schools through early April, leading the principal and social worker at Juliet Low — where 65% percent of students are from low-income families — to scramble to a nearby grocery store on their lunch hour, filling their carts with nonperishable foods.

“Every Friday, we send a group of our students ... home with backpacks full of food, and so we had to ask ourselves, with schools closing, how can we continue to make that happen?” said Katie Ahsell, an assistant superintendent in District 59.

“We immediately called all of the families we know who are already struggling ... and asked them, ‘What do you need from us?' ”

It’s a question that is keeping educators such as Ahsell awake at night, knowing that — for families who count on their kids’ schools for everything from student meals and mental health counseling to internet access and before- and after-school care — the coronavirus has shut the door on far more than just the buildings where learning takes place.

With the closure of all Illinois schools now extended to the end of April, districts are busy launching remote learning programs. But teachers, administrators and social workers have also joined forces behind the scenes to ensure that families have the needed support to navigate a global pandemic with unprecedented challenge.

From student and family wellness checks to virtual counseling sessions and meal deliveries, Chicago-area educators say they are determined to support students and their families during a public health crisis that has already wreaked economic devastation on many vulnerable communities.

During the inaugural week of its neighborhood-based nutrition program, launched because of the pandemic, Palatine-based Community Consolidated School District 15 has distributed more than 8,000 meals, with a fleet of school buses making dozens of daily stops at area schools and apartment complexes, said Renee Urbanski, executive director of second language programs.

With almost 40% of the district’s students coming from low-income families, the economic impact of the global pandemic has already taken a toll on the community, Urbanski said.

“The conversations I’ve had with people so far tell me there are already critical needs for our families, with many parents, like those who work at restaurants, now temporarily laid off from their jobs, and losing their incomes,” Urbanski said.