Message from the Superintendent

Friday, November 6, 2020 — Today marks the conclusion of the 10th week of the 2020–21 School Year. We have had elementary, early childhood and Transition Program students learning in-person for 10 weeks and all middle and high school students learning in-person for three weeks. Our elementary and middle school virtual academies have been in place as an option since the beginning of the school year. We continue to work closely with our local health department and medical community as we monitor health data and the continuation of our learning plans at each level.

Across all of our schools, we are continuing our COVID-19 mitigation strategies including wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, practicing good hand hygiene, frequent and regular cleaning and sanitizing, implementing enhanced air ventilation strategies, and monitoring any health concerns or symptoms. Our dashboard tracks the number of cases within our school buildings and our contact tracing teams diligently work to monitor if there are any signs of spread or transmission taking place in our school buildings. These are critically important data points to monitor, especially in a time when metrics in our community and state show a significant rise in cases. We evaluate our mitigation strategies, district dashboard, contact tracing information, and staffing levels weekly as we evaluate the potential need to take an “adaptive pause,” which would entail a move to full remote learning.

Our own school-based mitigation efforts are not enough if we want to continue to offer the in-person learning experience for families that select that option. This week, as the number of COVID-19 cases in DuPage County and our State has increased, we have seen an increase in the number of students and staff that need to quarantine due to a positive case or a close contact. That increase in the need to quarantine, especially at the middle and high schools, is stretching our ability to staff our classrooms. While we are working to increase our substitute teacher pool, we also need our students, families and staff members to do their part outside of the school building and day in mitigating the virus and the need to quarantine. If we are not able to staff our classrooms, that could be another reason we would need to implement an adaptive pause.

We already know of some COVID-19 issues related to gatherings outside of school and that only raises our level of concern about the upcoming holidays and school breaks. With the number of families who plan to travel and/or host larger family gatherings, it is inevitable that we will see continued increases in the community transmission rates in the weeks following Thanksgiving Break. This is something we are increasingly concerned about.

Below you will find our key health and safety reminders:

• Please limit gathering with people outside of your immediate household.
• Stay home if you don’t feel well and/or are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.
• If a student stays home due to being sick or experiencing a COVID-19 symptom, please keep siblings and/or members of the same household home as well until an alternative diagnosis on the sick student or a negative confirmatory RT-PCR COVID-19 test can be produced.
• At this time, the DuPage Health Department has indicated that a negative rapid RT-PCR COVID-19 test cannot be accepted to return to school.
• If a student or staff member is awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test, please stay home until the results of the test are known. Additionally, please keep siblings and/or members of the same household home as well
• Masks, that completely and snugly cover the nose and mouth, must be worn at all times. Masks can only be removed when students and staff are eating and drinking or are outdoors and 6ft of distance is maintained.
• Cloth face coverings must be 2-layers, including gaiters.
• Immediately upon exiting cars at arrival students and staff should put on their masks.
• Six feet of physical distance should be maintained at all times in classrooms, hallways and outdoors.
• Good hand hygiene should be practiced. There are hand sanitizers in every classroom and throughout common areas in schools.

At our Board of Education Meeting on Wednesday night, we will provide an update on our current dashboard, mitigation efforts, and learning plans. We believe that continuity and consistency in our virtual and in-person learning models is a priority, but can only continue to provide both options if it is safe to do so. We need you, our students, families, staff and community to come together and do your part. Stay safe and healthy.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jeff Schuler
Superintendent