More McHenry County School Districts Pick Remote Learning Plans

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — Several area school districts have voted in recent days to start the school year with remote learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Reversing course on an earlier decision to begin with a hybrid learning model, the District 155 school board approved a full remote learning plan on Tuesday during an emergency meeting, according to the Northwest Herald.

The school year will start on Aug. 17 for the district's 5,800 students, with plans to continue with remote learning through Oct. 9. The school district will re-evaluate its plans in the coming weeks to determine how to handle the rest of the school year, and parents should receive an update on Sept. 30, the paper said.

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Meanwhile, the Cary District 26 school board also voted this week to switch to a remote learning plan that will be in place through Oct. 2, according to District 26 documents. Like many school districts that have switched to remote learning plans, District 26 officials said an increase in coronavirus cases and the positivity rate led them to switch to an online plan.

Prairie Grove District 46 announced last week that its students would start the school year remotely. Online learning will continue through Sept. 25, and a decision will be made in mid-September whether to extend remote learning or move toward a "blended learning model," District 46 Superintendent John Bute wrote in a letter to parents.

Meanwhile, District 47 voted in July to start the school year with remote learning. The first three weeks of classes will be held online, and any changes for the rest of the school year would not be decided until the District 47 Board of Education meets late in August, district officials said.

"We are proceeding as planned but are continuing to monitor the situation," District 47 spokesperson Denise Barr told Patch in an e-mail response.

Other area school districts that have recently switched to full remote learning plans include: Community Unit District 300, Huntley District 158, Barrington District 220, Fox River Grove District 3, McHenry District 15, Wauconda District 118 and Harvard District 50, according to information presented at a District 26 meeting on Aug. 3.