D124 Sets Date For In-Person Schooling Amid Pandemic

EVERGREEN PARK, IL — Evergreen Park Elementary School District 124 is aiming to reopen schools Aug. 24 for the 2020-2021 school year. In a letter to parents, the district said it is following Centers for Disease Control, American Association of Pediatrics and Illinois State Board of Education guidelines. More information will be provided by the district as progress continues in opening day plans.

D124 staff, teachers, parents, administrators and board members met to ensure that processes and procedures are in place to ensure children and staff are working and learning in a healthy environment. The D124 school board have received the planning process and are expected to pass a resolution this Wednesday, July 15.

The resolution affirms the district’s efforts to plan for the upcoming school year. Committees will be meeting in upcoming weeks to address all issues and to establish a plan, interim D124 superintendents Dr. Lela Bridges-Webb and Dr. Margaret Lonzo said in their letter.

As we are in Phase 4 of the Illinois guidelines, we plan on opening our doors for in-person instruction beginning the week of August 24, 2020. We have established cleaning and disinfection procedures, have purchased PPE and will require the wearing of face masks in all of our buildings. In the future you will receive information regarding drop off and pick up procedures and other relevant information.

We will continue to provide Extended Day before and after school care for our families and the program will also be required to follow the established guidelines.

Since March 17, Illinois schools and districts have provided students with remote learning opportunities and continuity of education to the greatest extent possible. However, technology does not take the place of face-to-face instruction, school socialization and classroom learning, experts say.

Individual districts will be able to create their own safety plan within state guidelines, which all K-12 public and private schools should follow to maximize in-person instruction for students.

IDPH guidelines include symptom screenings and temperature checks, face coverings for all students and staff, and an increase in school wide cleaning and disinfecting. The guidelines also prohibit more than fifty individual from gathering in one space, and social distancing to be observed as much as possible.

State officials advise that requirements are subject to change at moment’s notice, pursuant to public health guidance and changing public health conditions. Schools should also be prepared to return to distance learning in cares of a resurgence of the virus or a second wave in the fall.