2020-2021 School Year

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Message from the Superintendent

Dear District 27 Families,

After careful consideration, discussions with our school staff, and a thorough review of our facilities and the revised state guidance, District 27 intends to bring all willing students back to school full-time beginning Monday, April 12. This return date allows for the vast majority of our staff to be fully vaccinated. We believe that by following the state recommendations and continuing with our strict safety mitigations, we will be able to do this safely. Our updated school calendar can be found here.

The guidance specifically allows for schools to operate at no less than 3 feet of physical distance, for students and fully vaccinated staff, in order to provide in-person instruction as soon as practicable in every state community. For unvaccinated staff, we need to adhere to 6 feet of physical distancing. All of the classrooms, at our school buildings, will adhere to 3 feet of physical distancing for student desks and 6 feet of physical distancing for the teacher instructional space.

In addition to maintaining 3-6 feet of distance for students and 6 feet of distance for staff, District 27 will continue to adhere to the following mitigation measures:

• Face masks are required for all students/staff 

• Lunch periods are distanced at 6 feet per person and held in large school spaces

• School nurses will continue to use medical PPE, isolation rooms, and contact tracing

• Buses are capped at 24 total passengers

• Students/staff are required to complete their Self-Certification Health Questionnaire prior to arriving at school each day

• Temperature checks are conducted at the school entrances

• Schoolwide cleaning and disinfection

• Promoting good hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette

• Following travel guidelines as established by the CCDPH and CDC

It is very important to note that the CDC has not changed its definition of close contact: “anyone who was within 6 feet of an individual who tested positive for COVID-19 or is suspected of having COVID-19 for 15 cumulative minutes or more.” Therefore, we want to be realistic that our schools will likely see an increase in quarantine numbers. That is because any students who are within less than 6 feet of a positive case will be required to quarantine, regardless of whether they test negative themselves. Should the definition of close contact change in the coming weeks, this will no longer be an issue.

Following official health guidance has helped us keep our schools safe, and we will continue to follow the guidance to best protect our students and staff. We are asking for commitment on the part of every parent, student, and staff member to continue to self-monitor systems and stay home when feeling sick.

Opt Out of In-person Instruction

An opt-out form will be sent to the parents of all students who have been attending school in-person this school year. Anyone who opts out of in-person instruction will be a fully remote student beginning Monday, April 12. They will remain in fully remote instruction for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year. 

Transportation

The bus transportation service will remain in effect for students who have been attending in-person (hybrid) and will continue to attend in-person (fully). If we have any adjustments to bus routes, we will communicate with those families directly. We will also be communicating with any current fully remote families who have expressed interest in their child returning to school in-person with bus service.

Wood Oaks Graduation Announcement

After much consideration and some conversation with parents and students, we are pleased to announce that we will be able to hold a Wood Oaks graduation ceremony in-person this year at the Glenbrook North football stadium. This outdoor ceremony will be held at 12 p.m. on Sunday, May 30. Please note that this date is different from our original plan, and we recognize the impact of this decision given the holiday weekend. We know how important it is to have our eighth grade students together, in one place, for a commencement ceremony. While we would have liked to have kept our original date, the high school is completely booked from Monday-Saturday with sports and other events. We are grateful to D225 for making this venue available to our District families. It is also important that the students are able to celebrate at the high school where they will be continuing their academic journey. We look forward to sharing this special day with them.

We will need to follow the Restore Illinois Phase 4 Outdoor Seated Spectator Events Guidelines which are currently set at 20% capacity with 6 feet between non-household individuals. Should these guidelines change in the near future, we will update our parents. We will be sending out more information soon, including how to reserve seats.

We are thrilled to end the school year with as many students attending in-person as possible. A video explanation of our fully in-person learning plan can be found here. I encourage you to watch it to learn more about specific operations and considerations. Thank you for your partnership.

Have a wonderful spring break.

Respectfully,

Dave Kroeze, PhD.
Superintendent of Schools