Superintendent Blog

Welcome Back

As we prepare for the launch of the 2021-22 school year, there are many things that I want to be sure to communicate.  Please realize that there may be changes to the procedures throughout the year.  We will keep you updated as quickly as possible when changes do occur.

Our Back-to-School Letter was emailed to everyone and posted on social media yesterday.  I know the requirement of masks was not something that everyone wanted to hear.  However, we need to be sure we are following the guidance provided to us from the public health experts (CDC, IDPH, and the Will County Health Department).  Will County is currently in substantial transmission of COVID-19 and this means we need to require masks.  We will be watching the data closely and we will modify and adjust when it is appropriate to do dso.

I want to thank all parents/guardians that responded to our Mask Choice Survey.  There were 2,445 response.  The results were as follows:  9% wanted only non-vaccinated children to wear masks in school; 30% wanted parents/guardians to determine if their child would wear a mask in school; and 61% wanted all children to wear a mask in school regardless of their vaccination status.  These results are in alignment with the current situation.  Please remember, we will continue to monitor the situation closely with the guidance from the public health experts.  Everything is subject to change based on any updated guidance and data that we receive.

Here are the specifics again from the letter we sent to everyone:

All staff/students must:

• Wear a mask in all schools and District buildings when not eating or drinking.
• Wear a mask when riding any school bus/van as mandated by the CDC.
• Stay home when they have cold or flu symptoms.
• Report any confirmed or possible COVID-19 cases.  The District is required to report these cases to the Will County Health Department.
• Help reduce the spread of COVID-19 by covering nose/mouth when coughing/sneezing and frequently wash hands with soap/water and use hand sanitizer.

We strongly recommend all staff/students:

• Get the COVID-19 vaccination.
• When and where possible, respect 3 feet of physical distance between individuals.  Students will not be excluded from in-person learning if 3 feet of distancing is not possible.

All staff/students may:

• Remove masks when outdoors.
• Voluntarily share vaccination status to properly determine quarantine protocols when needed.

The District will:

• Clean and disinfect schools and classrooms daily.
• Maintain proper ventilation in all buildings and classrooms
• Provide students with free breakfast/lunch service, PE classes, and after-school programs with additional safety procedures in place.

Let's work together to make this year a positive successful time for everyone.

As always, I encourage you to communicate your thoughts, questions, concerns, comments, and/or compliments using our Let's Talk communication tool on the District website.  You can click the logo below to go directly to the tool and leave your comments.