Joliet West, Central Start School Year With Remote Learning

JOLIET, IL — Teenagers who attend Joliet West High School and Joliet Central High School will begin their school year with at least six consecutive weeks of remote learning, Joliet Township High School District 204 Superintendent Karla Guseman announced last week.

"I have continued to watch the metrics for COVID positivity rates for the State as well as our region," Guseman's statement reads.

"Due to this upward trend in cases ... the Joliet Township High School Board of Education voted to begin the 2020-2021 school year remotely with no in-person instruction for the first six weeks of school. When the school year begins, every six weeks, the decision to deliver instruction remotely will be evaluated based on the (Illlinois Department of Public Health) data that is available and on the district’s ability to implement safety guidelines. When it is safe, we will resume in-person instruction following the re-opening plan that we previously shared with you. View the Remote Learning Schedule and Information."

Guseman acknowledged in her letter to parents that "many of our students and parents did not have a pleasant experience with remote learning when our school buildings abruptly closed on March 17. This was a crisis situation, and we had no time to prepare. I want you to know that the remote learning you experienced at the end of the school year will not be the same as what we have planned for the fall. We have been planning since the 2019-2020 school year ended to make sure we can provide effective remote instruction."

To read Guseman's entire letter, go here.