RE: Return to Remote Learning
Dear Parent or Guardian:
Since moving into our hybrid learning model in October, both Districts have continued to monitor the county and regional metrics regarding COVID-19. We have also monitored the health metrics within the zip codes of our schools’ boundaries. In addition to those metrics, we take into consideration the effectiveness of our mitigation protocols in preventing the spread of COVID-19 within the schools, our ability to properly staff our schools, the number of available substitutes, and whether we are seeing any community spread locally or within the schools.
While our schools at this time remain safe, the data is telling us that in the near future we could see a significant increase in the numbers of students and staff testing positive or needing to be quarantined. The Board of Education continues to place its top priority on the safety and health of all its students and staff. The District believes, when safe to do so, in-person learning is the best way to educate our students. However, given all the factors that must be taken into consideration both District 2 and District 157 will be taking an adaptive pause in our hybrid learning plan starting Monday, November 16, 2020.
An adaptive pause means we will continue to monitor all the metrics and local factors we take into consideration in determining if we can safely support a return to the hybrid learning platform. Much of this data and local information can be found by clicking on the COVID-19 link located on the banner picture of our districts’ websites COVID-19 Information Page .
We will update parents and guardians on December 2nd regarding whether both District 2 and District 157 schools will remain closed and continue in full remote learning or move back into our hybrid learning platform on Monday, December 7th.
You will receive specific information regarding school schedules, IEPs, lunches, and other important details about our move back to full remote learning from building level administration by the end of school tomorrow.
It is important that we work together to help slow the spread of COVID-19 so we can get our students back into school. The simplest and easiest way to help us achieve this is to remember the 3Ws:
Wear a mask when in public
Wash your hands on a regular basis
Watch your distance. When possible maintain 6 feet between you and another person when in public.
Sincerely,
Dr. Tom Lind
Superintendent