Illinois issues guidelines for reopening schools from coronavirus shutdown
New guidance for Illinois schools to reopen in the fall after COVID-19 closures in the spring was released Tuesday.
The guidelines are in line with Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan.
When possible, social distancing is required, as are face coverings, which the state will provide to every student, teacher and staff member. More than 50 individuals cannot gather in one space, and sanitization of facilities must be increased.
Finally, schools must conduct symptom screenings and temperature checks or require self-certification that individuals entering the building are symptom free.
Both Gov. J.B. Pritzker and State Superintendent Carmen Ayala reiterated during a press conference Tuesday that the guidelines are intended to be flexible enough for districts to make the best decisions for their communities, while maximizing in-person learning for students.
When schools were closed in March because of COVID-19, educators had to prepare for remote learning over a matter of days.
Even under the best circumstances, students lose some of what they learned the year before over the summer. This fall, that loss is expected to be far worse than normal, according to a study from the Brookings Institution.
Achievement gaps are expected to widen too, according to a McKinsey study. Schools are building plans to catch students up, but the pandemic isn’t over yet, and even with the latest guidance, the state still can’t be certain what will be safe in the weeks and months to follow.
Depending on local needs, Pritzker said districts could look at options for in-person learning, remote learning or some hybrid of the two.
Working with parents
When schools first closed, Belleville 118 Superintendent Ryan Boike said a lot of parents were home, either working from home, furloughed or laid off. As Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan starts Friday, though, that could change.
“We realize a lot of moms and dads are going to be going back to work,” Boike said.
Parents going back to work poses other complications, too.
Latchkey might not be possible, or might only be available for parents who are considered essential. Most proposed hybrid models have students on an A or B schedule to come in certain days of the week. If there are multiple kids in one family, their schedules might not line up, complicating transportation and childcare for families.
“Schools need to partner with the parents so all entities can be prepared in case this comes around again,” said Carolyn McCarty, president elect of Illinois PTA.
Many districts are asking parents to fill out surveys to gain input about specific concerns, technology needs and transportation. Before the state guidance was released, East St. Louis District 189 asked about specific safety procedures being considered, including many that have been addressed by the guidelines:
The school is thoroughly cleaned at least once a day.
Students are required to wear masks during the school day.
Staff are required to wear masks during the school day.
Students and staff are screened for symptoms before entering the school.
Students and staff maintain at least 6 feet of distance from other people at all times.
Students remain in a single classroom all day while teachers rotate from room to room.
Class sizes are reduced so that no more than 15 students are in a class at one time.
Lunch is served in individual classrooms.
Students must be spaced out on a school bus so that only one student per seat is allowed.
For elementary students, recess is scheduled to keep children contained to small groups.
“We’re hoping to get some strong feedback from families, and that will help our decision making,” said Sydney Stigge-Kaufman, director of strategic partnerships for District 189. The survey is open through the end of the month, and decisions are expected to be made in July.
Even though schools are allowed to return to in-person learning, administrators are looking at plans for students who might require exceptions.
“We know there are going to be families who have a person in their household who’s compromised, and it might not be safe for their student to come back,” Boike said.
He said he’s received preliminary information from the state that allows some flexibility with attendance.
“The tough thing is it’s almost July, and we still don’t have that exact plan. That’s tough for us to not be able to say what exactly we’re going to do,” he said.
Guidance can still change
Even if decisions are made and plans announced, they can always change, depending on how the virus is spreading later in the summer. Pritzker said districts should be prepared to return to remote learning.
“We may make a decision and it may get changed in light of changing climate or conditions within the region, or state directives, or what have you,” Stigge-Kaufman said.
Illinois school districts are under local control, but McCarty said Illinois PTA hopes guidance is specific enough that there’s consistency between all of Illinois’ more than 800 districts.
“[Kids’] lives have been turned upside down,” she said. “Kids are resilient, and I will say that they will bounce back. We have to be prepared to give them the resources they need to do that.”
Since the pandemic began, the number of COVID-19 cases statewide are 137,823 as of Tuesday, while total deaths were at 6,707.
The state’s average daily infection rate over the past week is at the lowest point since the outbreak began, Illinois Department of Public Health officials reported. Health officials are reporting that just 2.4% of the tests taken over the past week resulted in a new case.
IDPH is also reporting an average of fewer than 600 new cases a day over the past week, also another low.
This story was originally published June 23, 2020 at 4:58 PM.