Message from the Superintendent
Dear District 200 Families and Staff,
I am writing today to provide an update on our reopening plans for the 2020–21 School Year. We continue to move forward with the reopening plans presented to the community. Our reopening teams, who began meeting starting in May, have continued their diligent work in filling in the details in the plan and I want to thank our teachers, support staff, and administrators for being true partners in the development of the reopening plans. I also want to thank our staff and community for your engagement and thoughtful feedback since we first presented our plans back on July 8. The Board of Education and Administration have received hundreds of messages from staff and community members providing input on our reopening plans. Largely, the messages have provided thoughtful and constructive feedback offered in a very respectful way and I thank you for that.
The last few months have been incredibly trying on everyone. I think it is fair to say we are united in our concern for our students and staff and what is best for them as we prepare to start this school year. None of us signed up for the set of circumstances we find ourselves in, but I am fully confident that the Board of Education, Administration, and Reopening Team did sign up to do what we believe is best for District 200, the students we serve, and the staff that carries out our efforts. It is essential that we follow all guidelines to keep our students and staff safe as we chart a course to return to in-person instruction. We remain committed to working toward this end as we prepare for the start of the school year.
It is clear that there are a lot of different perspectives on exactly how schools should open. As a community, I do want to remind you that we are all in this together. No matter what choice you have made for the upcoming school year, we remain one community and must remain committed to that goal in our interactions with each other, both in-person and on social media.
On Wednesday, August 12, we will provide one more update to the Board of Education on our reopening plans. As we prepare for that update, I want to assure the community that we are closely monitoring community transmission numbers. I continue to work closely with our health departments to monitor critical data points utilized in determining whether community transmission allows for a safe reopening of school. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health metrics, there is an increase in the number of new cases of COVID-19 which are triggering warnings from DuPage officials. If, at any point, our health officials identify a concern with our plans based on the transmission numbers, we will adjust our course. Please understand that our plans will need to be fluid through this school year and we will do our best to continue to communicate with all of you.
We also continue to work through a variety of operational details and challenges. At the start of this school year, we are staffing and scheduling both our in-person option and the Virtual Academy. That process does take time in any school year but is especially complex this year as we work through the logistics of assigning current staff and hiring new staff needed to ensure physical distancing in our classrooms.
As a reminder, we ask the community to engage in a collective effort to continue to follow CDC guidelines on social distancing, face coverings, and handwashing, and daily symptom screening. This collective effort will assist in opening our schools for any in-person learning. These are non-negotiables in school buildings this year, but they also need to be non-negotiables outside of the school building. We need everyone to partner with us in making a collective commitment to the established safety protocols. Failure to do so will make it very difficult for schools to remain open for in-person instruction. Our health department reminds us of this every week and has continued to ask our assistance in spreading this important message.
I would like to thank all those that have assisted us in our reopening plans. Specific details in the plans have been adjusted, readjusted, and then refined as we have followed the most recent guidance to assure our plans are compliant with the expectations of ISBE, IDPH, and our local community. We are doing our very best in an unprecedented situation and I ask for your continued patience as we adjust and communicate details about the Virtual Academy and in-person opportunities for the upcoming school year which begins for students on August 25. You will continue to receive updates both from the District and your respective principal as we work through the next two weeks.
If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to your building principal or the district office, rather than relying on information from other sources such as social media. All school districts are being challenged through this pandemic, and I am confident our school community can emerge stronger, regardless of the path. Thank you for doing your part to remain well and to stay safe.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jeff Schuler, Superintendent
