Kildeer Countryside D96 To Start School Year Remotely For Most

BUFFALO GROVE — Admitting the news is difficult for parents requesting in-person schooling, Superintendent Julie Schmidt recently announced Kildeer Countryside School District 96 will open the 2020-2021 school year with full remote learning for most students. The first day of classes for the Buffalo Grove-based district is set for Aug. 24.

"The pandemic has changed temporarily where our students will be learning, but it has not and will not diminish our determination to engage them academically and socially/emotionally and help them achieve measurable growth in the school year," Schmidt said. "We know there will be challenges, and we will work through them together."

Students who will begin the school year with in-person learning, unless the family has requested full remote learning, include:

• Early Childhood IEP-entitled students
• Early Childhood and Kindergarten students programmed in the Structured Learning classrooms
• Students programmed in the Elementary Structured classrooms
• Students programmed in the Middle School Structured classrooms
• Students programmed in the Guided Classrooms located at Ivy Hall
• Students programmed in the Elementary Individualized Learning Community classrooms
• Students programmed in the Middle School Individualized Learning Community classrooms

The schools in District 96 are: Willow Grove Early Learning Center, Country Meadows Elementary, Ivy Hall Elementary, Kildeer Countryside Elementary, Prairie Elementary, Twin Groves Middle School and Woodlawn Middle School. There are around 3,200 students in the district.

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"We have determined [the decision] is necessary due to the feasibility of adhering to current public health guidelines and for the health and safety of our students and staff," Schmidt said.

Schmidt also stated the enhanced full remote learning model will be "significantly different" than the one used in the spring during the emergency closing. Full details can be found at www.kscd96.org.