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The Examiner U-46 News Feed

U-46 to resume classes in an distanced manner


By Seth Hancock
  The first day of school is right around the corner, Aug. 12, but School District U-46 officials have few answers other than the start of the 2020-2021 year will be all online due to COVID-19.
  The U.S. Senate was recently presented with data from 22 European countries that have already opened schools, many with no face mask requirements, showing that there were no measurable increases in COVID-19.
  However, U-46 Superintendent Tony Sanders said the district is making its decision based on fear rather than scientific data at a Board of Education meeting that was held on Monday, July 20 which was held electronically. Sanders said the district will base its decisions on government agencies such as the Illinois State Board of Education and Illinois Department of Public Health and other local agencies.
  “We’ll start off with distance learning, full-time online learning, and hopefully move into hybrid learning which is where students will come in, half of the students potentially at a time, alternating days and we’ll offer days of face to face instruction and online learning,” Sanders said.
  Sanders said when Illinois reaches Phase 5 of Gov. JB Pritzker’s reopening plan, which Sanders said will require a vaccine, U-46 will return “hopefully full-time in person learning.”
  Pritzker’s mandates concerning COVID-19 hold no legal authority according to a recent state court ruling. Sue Kerr, the board’s president, cited a Pritzker executive order for allowing the remote meeting, not Senate Bill 2135 approved by the General Assembly which allowed for remote meetings.
  The plan is for full online learning through the first quarter, ending Oct. 9, with high school remaining that way through the rest of the first semester but elementary and middle schools moving to hybrid. Some access to buildings, with a face mask requirement, will be allowed in small groups for things such as labs and to acclimate students to “what schools look like in the era of COVID-19,” Sanders said.
  The district will contact families and staff to verify enrollment plans and staff assignments, and a special board meeting will be held on July 27 to vote on the plan, calendar adjustments and a waiver to immunization/health record requirements.
  Sanders said Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines “may still impact our plan.” He said wearing masks is “what we must do” under Pritzker’s current orders and “the exceptions for this will be very, very rare,” and he said if someone tests positive in a building anyone who was not fully socially distanced (six feet) would have to self-quarantine for up to 14 days.
  The National Institutes of Health has published a study stating that cloth masks “may result in increased risk of infection.” Sanders, who was in the board meeting room along with Kerr and another staff member, several times had to remove his face mask after coughing and losing his voice.
  A survey was released seeking to find out what parents and staff were most afraid of and Brian Lindholm, coordinator for strategic initiatives, said U-46 “used these results heavily” to determine the plan.
  Lindholm said staff, especially teachers, preferred all online learning or a hybrid model, and they also want more taxpayer-funded technology to use at home. Lindholm said “we do apologize for the discomfort” because the district asked respondents to rank their fears but a lot of respondents felt all six fears “were important.” What should be noted is for those that do not hold any of the fears they had little chance to provide that input in the survey.
  Several public comments came were made, some written and others over phone, from mostly teachers and mostly those who are afraid of returning to in-person. Brittany Schaefer, a teacher, wrote that “to say that teachers are afraid to return to in-person learning in the Fall is an understatement,” and a teacher phoned in saying she was “terrified to return to school” and the district is responsible to “keep us safe.”
  Suzanne Johnson, deputy superintendent of instruction, offered some possible models once the hybrid learning begins but stressed “that all the information being shared tonight is tentative.” She said the calendar, which will now extend into June, “is currently under revision.”
  Trisha Shrode, director of curriculum and instruction, said that “some students were not as successful in distance learning as we had hoped” in the spring and the district is working on a handbook for teachers.
  The district’s data from the spring showed that only 9 percent of students fully participated in distance learning, but Sanders said: “The last thing I want to hear is that schools are not in session.”
  Johnson said work is “ongoing” regarding extra-curriculars and, regarding sports, U-46 will defer to the IHSA which has said it will defer all guidance to government agencies.
  Jeff King, deputy superintendent of operations, said adjustments will need to be made regarding transportation and food service while they are working on managing federal bailout funds. He said the taxpayer-funded meals, which have been handed out to anybody with no questions asked, that have been funded through reimbursements which ends in August and said the district is lobbying the “state and the Congress” to continue it so the district doesn’t have to do the work of verifying who the taxpayer-funded meals go to.
  King later said “we couldn’t do any transportation anymore” if social distancing is required except for maybe special education students.
  Sanders said, regarding masks, that people must assume “that everyone around you might have (COVID-19)” and medical exemptions “will require a physician’s note.”
  Board member Kate Thommes said “that’s just not ok” if a student doesn’t wear a mask and asked how that will be handled. Sanders agreed “that’s not ok” and the district will need to determine “who corrects the behavior” and there needs to be “reinforcing” that they must obey.
  From handling teachers who don’t want to return to buildings to childcare, student labs and specialized equipment necessary for certain classes the common answer was the district is still determining the answers. A parent called and asked about testing for gifted programs which Sanders said: “We are working on what kind of testing we will be conducting.”
  Asked about childcare by John Devereux, Sanders said the district is working on something because some parents “have to be back to work because they’re essential workers.” Those parents who have been out of work because they were considered “nonessential” were not mentioned.
  Thommes said more importantly are teachers who need childcare saying: “Make it a priority to take care of our teachers… in all of the ways that they need help.”
  Board member Donna Smith asked about the ability to implement guidelines based on the different layouts at each U-46 building to which Sanders said: “We don’t know what we don’t know. We like to think we know about each of our different buildings.”
  Board member Eva Porter said she was happy with the plan, and “we’ll always be looking at science and what the CDC say(s).”
  Kerr said she was “optimistic.” She said “I certainly realize there will be parents this will be a problem for,” but “the fears, it’s a real thing.”

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