Dear CUSD 201 School Community,
Thank you to everyone for your patience as we worked to develop plans for the opening of the 2020-2021 school year. Thank you to the many staff members and parents for your input and questions, as we have navigated the last several weeks.
At the July 21 Board of Education Meeting, the Administrative Team presented details for the opening of school, allowing for in-person instruction and remote learning. Since the plan’s presentation, the District continued to wrestle with the best way to open the school year, knowing that one plan will not meet the needs of all stakeholders, and some families would be disappointed.
At the August 4 Board Meeting, a recommendation was made to start the school year with 100% remote learning. Several factors went into the decision:
- COVID-19 positivity rates continue to increase in our State and county steadily.
- A large percentage of families have selected the remote learning option, which adds to the challenges of providing both a quality in-person and remote learning experience.
- CUSD 201 does not have the appropriate staffing for the in-person plan due to the number of employees that have indicated that due medical conditions or other COVID-19 related reasons will not be able to return to work or require a leave of absence.
- There are currently no metrics provided to schools by the CDC or IDPH to determine when to open or close schools.
- The challenges of implementing the safety protocols that are required for a safe in-person learning environment. (Temperature checks, self-certification of students and employees, cleaning services in between class periods, social distancing on school busses.)
Due to these and many other factors, the Administration recommended the District start the school year with 100% remote learning. The Board approved the recommendation on a 4-3 vote. The District will continue to review guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education, DuPage County Health Department and the Illinois Department of Public Health. The goal is to resume in-person learning by October 1. If factors indicate that the transition to in-person can happen sooner, the District will.
Some of our families will be happy with this decision, and some will not. The reality is that there is not one decision that will satisfy all stakeholders. Parents, students, Board Members, and all of the District employees would prefer in-person learning. Unfortunately, at this time, it is not possible to safely and effectively have in-person learning. Next week families will receive additional information regarding remote learning for their students and the opening of school.
Thank you for your flexibility and continued support of CUSD 201.
Kevin Carey
Superintendent
CUSD 201