District 96 Community:
Please read this message in its entirety for timely information.
I am writing to share that the isolation and quarantine period for students and staff members sick with COVID-19 or considered a close contact has been reduced to five days. The Governor’s indoor mask mandate for school is still in effect until further notice.
On January 6, the CDC updated its guidance for K-12 Schools {linked here). Yesterday, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education announced that the agencies have adopted CDC guidance for P-12 schools that reduces the isolation and quarantine period.
As a result, effective Monday, January 10th, Kildeer District 96 will implement the updated CDC guidance. Staff and students who are currently impacted by a quarantine now have a revised return-to-school date. Please see the chart below to know when to send your child back to school:
If a student or staff member tested positive or first had symptoms on the following date:
The new return to school/work date is the following:
Today’s announcement does not change the state of Illinois’ mask requirement for anyone inside school buildings. The Governor’s indoor mask mandate for school is still in effect until further notice.
Unvaccinated students and not boosted staff members who are close contacts are now required to quarantine for 5 days. The following is a table with the revised return-to-school dates.
If an unvaccinated student or not boosted staff member was a close contact on the following:
The new return to school/work date is the following:
Current Reality
As we have consistently reiterated over the last year, we are deeply committed to safe in-person learning with minimal disruption. We have been diligent in applying our mitigation measures and are increasing our weekly PCR screening to twice per week. Overall, school-based transmissions are less than 1%, underscoring that our schools are doing a great job of keeping staff and students safe.
Community transmission rates, however, are high at this time, as you are well aware. The current trend in cases, as well as the continuation of current quarantine recommendations, places our primary goal of providing in-person learning at risk.
District 96 is experiencing very high absence rates due to isolation and quarantine requirements amongst staff. Should this number continue to climb, it is possible that we may have to access emergency days in order to allow isolation and quarantine periods to expire and to allow staff to return. This option will only be accessed if absolutely necessary, but it is important that we share that it is a possibility.
“Adaptive Pause” Versus “Emergency Days”
One scenario under which we would have to revert to remote learning for a brief period of time is if we experience a “cluster” of positive cases at a given school as identified in conjunction with the health department. An adaptive pause in these cases could be taken by an individual classroom or by a school. School districts do not have the local authority to simply decide to take an adaptive pause: This is directed by health officials.
The other scenario involves the school district having such a significant staffing shortage due to illness and absences that holding in-person learning is not possible. In this case, a school district would use emergency days and may utilize E-learning. Currently, districts may use E-learning in lieu of emergency days for up to five days. Anything beyond that would need to be added to the end of the current school year, unless guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education changes.
Please partner with us in following all safety measures outside of school, as well as in school, in order to support minimal disruption to in-person learning. We appreciate your partnership and know that we will get through this together.
Regards,
~ Julie Schmidt, District 96 Superintendent of Schools