District 205 Sees Wave of Resignations

ELMHURST, IL — Typically, school employees who are planning to resign or retire announce their decisions by the end of June, which is the change in budget years. This year, at Elmhurst School District 205, more than a dozen decided in August, shortly before the start of the school year, which was Monday.

On Friday, the school district released details about the resignations and retirements as part of the online documents for Tuesday's school board meeting. Then it removed the information from its website, perhaps because posting it was seen as a mistake.

According to the documents, 15 faculty and staff turned in their resignations in August. Another retired. The resignations include three teachers and two social workers, among others. A York High School social studies teacher is retiring.

The document also names 16 faculty and staff who are requesting leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Half of them are teachers.

The school district had initially planned to start the academic year Monday with in-person learning. But less than two weeks ago, the administration switched course, deciding to teach remotely. Officials said it was not logistically possible to start the school year in August because the district was unable to staff classrooms. This was after the teachers union announced its opposition to in-person learning because of the coronavirus.

At the school board meeting two weeks ago, member Karen Stuefen twice said two-thirds of the district's staff was prepared for in-person learning. The district later said it agreed with Stuefen's number. If that is the case, about 200 of the district's nearly 600 teachers are unwilling to commit to in-person learning.

The district and the union couldn't be reached for immediate comment Monday on the staffing situation as the district prepares for in-person learning to start Sept. 14.

Patch has submitted a public records request for the number of teachers who are seeking remote assignments.

At the meeting two weeks ago, the district administration expressed concern that it may be unable to figure out the staffing challenges making in-person learning a reality.