District 86 Now Going Entirely Remote

HINSDALE, IL — Hinsdale High School District 86 reversed itself Thursday night and decided to start the year with entirely remote learning. This was a surprise, given that earlier in the day it had released more details about its in-person learning plan.

In the later announcement, the district said it decided to move to remote learning to start the year because of guidance issued two days earlier by the state Department of Public Health and the State Board of Education. The district had originally planned a blended approach with in-person and remote days.

On Tuesday, Elmhurst School District 205 shifted to an entirely remote schedule when school begins Aug. 24. In this case, the district cited the difficulties of staffing because many teachers requested remote assignments. District 205 still hopes to start with in-person learning Sept. 14.

District 86, however, has released no timeline on when it would start in-person learning, only saying safety would be its guide.

"We also know that this decision will be disappointing for those of you who have advocated for in-person instruction," Superintendent Tammy Prentiss said in a statement. "Please know that we are committed to getting our students and staff back in our buildings as quickly as possible. However, we have the utmost confidence in our remote learning plan and the teachers who will be implementing it."

In District 86, 85 percent of families indicated in a survey they preferred at least some in-person learning for their children, compared with 90 percent in Elmhurst, according to information from the districts.

District 86's school year will still start Monday. Its reversal was announced at Thursday night's school board meeting.