Summer school will open in Illinois with COVID-19 limitations. Here’s what changes.
New guidance for summer school activities was released Thursday by the Illinois State Board of Education and Illinois Department of Public Health. Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois plan to reopen the state from the coronavirus pandemic started at the end of May.
Small group gatherings are allowed within certain boundaries: Gatherings may not have more than 10 people in one space, and social distancing policies and personal protective equipment are still required.
Even when the new rules allow for in-person meetings, it’s emphasized that some meetings, hearings and evaluations should still be virtual “to the greatest extent possible.”
Many of the allowed activities over the summer pertain to students with disabilities and those who receive special education services. Many districts have been holding virtual meetings to create individualized education programs, or IEPs, for students. When possible, those meetings should still be virtual, ISBE says, but now districts can conduct meetings in-person for families who couldn’t meet virtually.
Special education screenings, extended school year services and special education evaluations are allowed to be held in-person. Screenings can also be held for early childhood and English learner services.
Summer school can be held in-person, with special populations — including students with IEPs, English learners and students who didn’t engage with remote instruction — being given priority consideration.
Two hallmarks of summer — drivers education and camps — also are allowed with provisions.
Only two students and one instructor are allowed in a car at a time, and vehicles must be cleaned and sanitized between each use. Buildings can be used for summer camps and other programming sponsored by third parties, but playgrounds are still off-limits.
Guidance for phase 4 and the start of the 2020–21 school year will be released in the coming weeks, according to the ISBE.
This story was originally published June 5, 2020 at 1:27 PM.
