52 Lake Bluff Students Must Stay Home Due To Coronavirus Cases

LAKE BLUFF, IL — In-person instruction for all fifth grade students at Lake Bluff Elementary School was suspended through Oct. 5 after at least two students tested positive for the coronavirus, village and school administrators announced.

A Lake County Health Department investigation has traced the cases to "multiple" youth sports practices and games, according to a joint statement issued Friday from village and Lake Bluff School District 65 officials.

In one case, parents are refusing to cooperate with the health department, it said, and in two cases parents have been slow to report COVID-19 test results or symptoms to the school district.

"This is not the story of one bad apple," Village President Kathy O'Hara said in the statement, which attributed the cases to organized events in the Lake Bluff community.

For months, authorities have warned that taking part in social gatherings during a pandemic would have negative consequences, she said. Now that has come to pass.

"The best case is that 52 families now cannot work because they need to watch their children," O'Hara said. "The worst case is unspeakable."

Students from five classrooms will be required to stay home and take part in fully remote learning next week., according to the joint statement. Some have been exposed to a known COVID-19 case, so they will need to remain isolated at home and check for to see if symptoms develop.

Mark Barry, president of the Lake Bluff School District 65 board, told parents who are unable or unwilling to take precautions against the spread of coronavirus to stay home for the duration of the pandemic.

“Our role is to educate Lake Bluff’s children despite a public health emergency, not to monitor Lake Bluff’s families,” Barry said. “Families that can’t or won’t make the hard choices that keep COVID-19 out of our buildings should take advantage of remote learning until this crisis is over. The alternative puts our students, our educators, and our community in danger.”