District 230 families have option of blended or fully remote learning for fall semester, board approves
Families will have until Aug. 7 to decide which option they want for their kid(s)
Consolidated High School District 230 families will be given the option of choosing between blended learning and fully remote learning for the fall semester, the Board of Education approved at a special meeting Thursday night.
The board voted unanimously to approve the plan.
As part of the district’s much-anticipated plan, named the “D230 Proud Reopening Plan,” the district will reopen to 25% onsite capacity at the start of the fall semester, as long as Illinois remains in Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan.
If Illinois regresses into Phase 3 or below, learning will go fully remote. When Illinois progresses into Phase 5, when a vaccine or cure is readily available, then schools can reopen to 100% capacity, under the D230 plan.
District 230 Superintendent Dr. James Gay emphasized the district’s three schools will follow Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Illinois Department of Public Health and other state guidance.
Carl Sandburg High School, as seen from La Grange Road. | Photo by Orland Blueprint
Families will have until Aug. 7 to decide which option best fits their needs, according to the district. A choice form will be sent to families Friday, July 24. Families will have to stick to their choice for the entire semester, or until the state moves into Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois Plan, the district said.
Under the plan, D230 schools will open to 25% of capacity to start. The other 75% of students will receive live instruction remotely. Students will be bucketed into four groups. Group A will be onsite on Mondays, B on Tuesdays, C on Thursdays and D on Fridays. Wednesdays will be remote.
Later on in Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan, District 230 will move toward 50% capacity at an unspecified date. At that point, Groups A and B will be onsite on Mondays and Tuesdays, and C and D groups will be onsite on Thursdays and Fridays. Wednesdays will be remote.
According to the plan, staff institute and planning days will take place Aug. 12-19. Freshman and transfer groups A and B will be onsite Aug. 20, and freshman and transfer groups C and D will be onsite Aug. 21. All other onsite learning will start with Group A on Aug. 24.
According to results from District 230 surveys sent to stakeholders, which closed July 8, nearly 84% of families said they’re likely to send students back to school when they reopen for onsite learning.
The surveys showed that 73% of students, 70.5% of families and 61.8% of staff “will feel somewhat safe to completely safe returning onsite,” according to the results presented during the board meeting.
In nearly 20 public comments submitted to the board, multiple community members expressed concerns of students, teachers and other staff contracting covid-19 at school and risk bringing it back home and infecting others. Two people noted that today Illinois saw its worst day of covid-19 confirmed cases in nearly two months.
“We are not invincible. While many teachers wear capes, we simply do not have a covid cape, not yet at least,” one community member submitted to the board.
In other public comment submissions, two district staff members encouraged the board to reject the administration’s reopening plan as it is.
Multiple public commenters questioned why the district would return to in-person instruction during a pandemic when they have the resources to institute remote learning. One teacher said their wife died because of coronavirus and another said it is “absolutely abhorrent” that the district would reopen and put people at risk.
Board members emphasized that these are unprecedented times and there is no plan that will appeal to and meet the needs of every person.
Another board member emphasized that the social and emotional wellbeing of students must be taken into consideration, given they have been away from classmates, friends and teachers for many months now. Covid-19 is the most important, overriding issue at this time, but not the only one at play, the board member added.
According to the plan, accommodations will be made for special education, English learners, students on 504 plans and other students designated as at-risk for fully onsite as appropriate.
Under the District 230 plan, traditional grading and attendance procedures will be in place.
The district is also placing a focus on social and emotional learning. A dedicated check-in time will be allotted every day during Advisory to check the social and emotional needs of students, according to the plan.
Face masks must be worn by all individuals while on the bus and on campus. Exceptions will be made for medical reasons in accordance with IDPH guidance. A six-foot physical distancing measure will be in place. The district will provide one reusable face mask for each student and staff member.
Cleaning will take place nightly along with deep cleaning on Wednesdays and weekends using CDC approved cleaning products. There will be an increase in the number of hand sanitizer stations and disinfecting wipes will be available in all classrooms, according to the plan.
Additional lunch spaces will be designated so there are no more than 50 people in one area. “Meals will be available for both free students and paid students for days that students are remote,” the plan says.
Lockers will not be used, students will exit campus immediately after school except for co-curriculars pending guidance and more students will be allowed to drive to campus following review of parking pass procedures.
Co-curricular guidance from the state is still fluid, with plans changing nearly daily. Meetings will be virtual whenever possible, according to the plan.
All students will be issued a Chromebook and district technology staff will work with families to ensure reliable internet service at home.
Passing periods will also be shortened so as not to encourage congregation in hallways.
NOTE: District 230’s special board meeting was held at the same time as District 135’s special board meeting, so a Blueprint update on D135’s fall plan will be sent tomorrow.
District 230 families have option of blended or fully remote learning for fall semester, board approves
The data does not reflect the most current survey whereby 60% of teachers did not approve this plan and preferred to start remote.