East St. Louis schools aim to bring some students back for in-person learning

Some of the students in East St. Louis School District 189 are slated to return to the classroom for the first time in nearly a year, after the COVID-19 pandemic sent students home for remote learning in the spring of 2020.

Preschool and elementary-aged students are tentatively scheduled to return to school March 2, the district announced through its website. Remote learning, however, will remain an option for families.

St. Clair County Chairman Mark Kern said Monday that vaccinations of teachers through the mass vaccination at the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds may have to be delayed due to shortage of doses and uncertainty over when the state would be delivering more.

But nearly 600 District 189 teachers and staff members are scheduled to be vaccinated on Tuesday and Thursday of this week through the East Side Health District.

Bringing students back and vaccinating teachers were on two separate timelines that happened to cross, said Sydney Stigge-Kaufman, director of communications and strategic partnerships for the district.

There was no school for students on Tuesday, so teachers could receive the first dose of the vaccination.

The second dose is supposed to be delivered 21 days after the first, so Stigge-Kaufman said the March 2 start date could be pushed back slightly, depending on when the East Side Health District has the vaccines available for staff.

The return for middle and high school students will be scheduled after assessing how the transition for younger students go.

This story was originally published February 9, 2021 at 11:54 AM.