How Many D-181 Students And Teachers Plan To Attend?

HINSDALE, IL — The vast majority of students are set to attend the first day of school in School District 181, which serves elementary and middle school students in Hinsdale and Clarendon Hills.

According to the district, 84 percent of students are signed up for in-person learning, while 14 percent will be entirely remote and 1.5 percent are transferring out of district. The first day of student attendance is Sept. 8. Those choosing the in-person option will get a mix of in-person and remote days.

In Hinsdale High School District 86, about 90 percent of parents surveyed wanted at least some in-person learning for their children. The number was 85 percent in Elmhurst School District 205. Both districts are beginning the year remotely.

As with most school districts, the question is whether District 181 has enough staff to make in-person learning possible. The Elmhurst district had planned to start the school year with in-person days, but officials said too many employees were seeking remote assignments because of the pandemic. So the district decided to go fully remote for at least the first three weeks.

At this week's District 181 school board meeting, members were told human resources was talking with more than 30 employees about accommodations, including possible leave, under a new federal law. The district is trying to determine how the Families First Coronavirus Response Act applies to a wide range of medical conditions, said John Munch, assistant superintendent of human resources. According to the district, most of the conditions can be "reasonably accommodated" by providing personal protective equipment and work assignments that limit or eliminate exposure to students.

The school district has 300 teachers and nearly 3,800 students, according to 2019 numbers from the Illinois Report Card website.