Planning for the Road Ahead

As requested by the Board of Education earlier this month, last night, Superintendent Dr. Jeff Schuler presented the Board with COVID-19 and the District 200 Learning Experience: Planning for the Road Ahead. The presentation included a review of the tiers of COVID-19 mitigations; a review the list of mitigations in our toolbox; an analysis of the shifts in the COVID-19 landscape; a review the four key types of analytical data; an analysis of current and potential future data points to use for decision-making; and a set of recommendations for the Board to consider.

The COVID-19 landscape is in a different place than it was a year ago. There is an opportunity to continue building a plan that moves us forward with the following considerations:

• Data-based decisions about adjusting mitigations, prioritizing when possible the most impactful to students’ school experience, should guide our practice.
• A purely case-based model does not fully reflect the complexity of the current situation. Multiple measures most accurately describe this complex situation.
• Given the constant shifts in the COVID-19 landscape, setting specific thresholds does not reflect the evolving nature of the virus. Evaluating all current data and other information in context allows the District to make agile and responsible decisions.
• It is important to consider the benefit to the social-emotional wellness and academic achievement of students that can be attained by reclaiming a normal school environment.
• There is a highly effective vaccine and other opportunities to provide focused protection for individuals.

Following discussion, the Board determined that the following mitigations that were suspended on February 7 be officially removed from District 200’s list of universal mitigations:

• Required quarantine for close contacts
• Required universal masking
• Test to Stay requirement for in-school close contacts

Additionally, the Board took action to remove Board Policy 4:182, Face Coverings, from the Board’s Policy Manual. Regardless of your family or personal choice about face coverings, we ask everyone to lead with kindness and respect. It is important that we are respectful of each other’s personal decisions. District 200 schools will not tolerate bullying or disrespectful behavior of any kind.

The Board will continue to monitor data points outlined in the presentation for signals that show a need for targeted mitigations and/or future adjustments to mitigation plans.