More southwest Illinois schools are bringing kids back to classrooms
Several weeks into the school year, metro-east school districts are beginning to adjust their learning plans around the COVID-19 pandemic that forced them to kick off the year with fully remote instruction.
The seven-county metro-east region has the highest coronavirus test positivity rate of the 11 healthcare regions in the state. Region 4 includes St. Clair, Madison, Clinton, Randolph, Monroe, Bond and Washington counties.
In Illinois, the “threshold” to spur mitigation measures is a rolling seven-day of positivity rate of 8% over three days.
Over the last four days, the positivity rate for COVID-19 testing in the metro-east has dropped slightly. At a 9.4% positivity rate on Monday, though, the region is still above the 8% threshold for additional restrictions from the state, including a ban on indoor service at bars and restaurants.
Collinsville Community Unit School District 10 was one of the first districts to move from a hybrid plan — a scheduled mix of in-person and digitally-based lessons — to full remote learning once the testing numbers began to spike at the end of summer break. It also was the first to bring students back into the classrooms, which it began doing last Tuesday.
Here’s where other area districts stand on the transition:
St. Clair County
St. Clair County’s daily positivity rate on Monday was 8.5%, with a seven-day rolling positivity rate of 7.4%.
In August, the St. Clair County Health Department recommended school districts strongly consider starting the year with remote learning. Ultimately, all but four of the county’s 27 districts heeded that advice: Dupo 196, Freeburg 70, Freeburg 77 and St. Libory 30.
Beginning Tuesday, all Dupo students through eighth grade will attend school in-person four days a week, with remote learning on Mondays. Before, students were attending school in-person two days a week, unless they opted in to a fully remote plan.
In the meantime, Dupo High School students will continue with their A/B hybrid schedule.
Belleville Township High School 201 announced that it is implementing a five-week phase-in plan for hybrid learning beginning Thursday.
Likewise, Mascoutah 19 is looking to begin a transition period where additional grades are reintroduce to the buildings over several weeks. Superintendent Craig Fiegel said the district was hoping to start the transition period the week of Sept. 28, but an official date has not been set.
Madison County
While St. Clair County’s numbers have started to drop, Madison County’s have increased. Sunday’s positivity rate was 14.3%, and the seven-day positivity rate on Sunday was 14.05%.
Collinsville 10 moved from remote to hybrid learning Sept. 8, after the long Labor Day weekend.
Triad 2 also added more school days for its youngest students.
On Monday, all students through sixth grade moved to full-time in-person learning. Middle and high school students will stick to their hybrid learning schedule at least through the end of the first quarter, Oct. 9.
Clinton County
COVID-19 cases have surged in Clinton County, hitting a 16.9% positivity rate on Friday. Clinton County Health Department spokeswoman Louise McMinn previously told the Belleville News-Democrat that there was not much support from the community when it came to following the guidance.
Students in Carlyle 1 started in-person learning four days a week on Monday.
Breese 12 postponed the start of the school year in August to prepare for remote learning. The school board voted Thursday to resume in-person instruction on Wednesday.
Monroe County
Monroe County reported two new cases on Monday. A total of 14 people have died, and 585 have tested positive.
The Columbia 4 school board voted Monday night to bring students back for in-person learning on Sept. 28. The school day will be abbreviated.
Waterloo 5 started the school year remotely, with the intent to start in-person learning Sept. 8. The district hasn’t started in-person learning yet, but the school board met Monday night to approve a new plan: elementary students will be back in class five days a week starting Sept. 24, and middle and high school students will be on a hybrid schedule beginning Sept. 30.
Washington County
Washington County reported 15 new cases on Monday, for a total of 164. One county resident has died.
In Nashville 49, students are already attending classes in-person five days a week. As of Sept. 11, the district said there were two active confirmed positive tests and three total positive tests since Aug. 12. There are 20 staff members and students in quarantine.
Randolph County
As of Sunday, a total of 854 people have tested positive for COVID-19, and 772 have recovered. Eight people have died.
Sparta 140 gave students the option to start the school year with in-person learning, or to commit to remote learning for the entire first semester. On Friday, the district said those remote students could choose to come back at the start of the second quarter, beginning Oct. 19.
Waiting to make a decision
In both St. Clair and Madison Counties, some districts have committed to teaching remotely for at least the whole first quarter. Alton 11 and East St. Louis 189 will be remote at least through Oct. 16, and O’Fallon 90 will be remote through at least Oct. 22.
In other districts, administrators note in their return to learn plans that the plans are fluid, depending on the number of COVID-19 cases locally.
Edwardsville 7, Belleville 118 and O’Fallon Township High School 203 are three districts that have said they’re teaching remotely for the time being, and will continue to monitor local numbers.
This story was originally published September 16, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
