On July 9, the CDC issued new guidance for school operations in regard to COVID-19. These guidelines were immediately adopted by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education. The guidance brings schools in line with Phase 5 guidance for Illinois and gives local school boards control of mitigation decisions.
As such, the Board of Education met last night (July 20, 2021) to have deep discussion to review the guidance and give direction for our new school year. Based on CDC/IDPH/ISBE guidance, we will resume in person learning five full days a week, this includes eating lunch at school. Masks are no longer required for vaccinated individuals. We support the CDC recommendation that non-vaccinated individuals wear masks indoors, but District 142 students are not mandated to wear a mask. However, the ISBE has mandated masks must be worn on school buses, to and from school. Masking outside of the school bus is every parent’s choice.
We will continue our other mitigation strategies of social distancing, and our focus on building cleanliness for the time being. We are still reviewing all the implications of the guidance for the new school year and will continue to update the community. Should conditions change, we will continue to monitor the health of our students and staff and adjust accordingly when needed. We understand the need for timely communication for planning purposes and I expect that in the very near future we will communicate our “Back Together” School Year Plan for 2021-2022.
Enjoy the rest of your summer!