December 31, 2021
Dear CCSD 46 Community,
I write in hopes that your family has been enjoying a fun and relaxing winter break. Many questions regarding our return to school have arisen over the past week, and this message is meant to bring our community up-to-date.
School Exclusion Timelines
On December 27, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated recommendations reducing the length of quarantine time for those who test positive or are considered close contacts. However, these changes cannot be implemented in schools yet, for two reasons:
Illinois public schools still operate under an Executive Order that specifies a minimum number of days for quarantine and isolation for students and staff. That order states: All Schools must… Exclude any Student or School Personnel who is a Confirmed Case or Probable Case for a minimum of 10 days following onset date if symptomatic or date of test if asymptomatic, or as otherwise directed by the School’s local health authority. The Executive Order also defers to the local health authority regarding school exclusion for close contacts. Please note that at this time, the Lake County Health Department (our local health authority) has not shortened school exclusion for either cases or close contacts.
On December 28, 2021, the Illinois Department of Public Health generally adopted the new CDC guidelines for quarantine and isolation, but stated that schools should continue to follow the IDPH COVID-19 School Guidance.
We are hopeful that updated guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) will be released soon. Of course we will share with you any updated school guidance we receive as we work through all the details. In the meantime, however, school exclusion requirements have not been shortened. We still must follow the requirements of the Executive Order, the IDPH COVID-19 School Guidance, and these three documents:
In-Person Learning
The District is committed to following the IDPH recommended layered mitigation strategies in an effort to support and maximize in-person learning. Schools can help limit COVID-19 transmission by layering the following effective prevention strategies:
Promoting COVID-19 vaccination
Consistent and correct use of masks
Physical distancing
Screening testing and symptomatic testing
Increased ventilation
Frequent handwashing
Staying home when sick and getting tested
Testing and contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine
Increased cleaning and sanitizing of school facilities.
We are aware of the increase in COVID-19 cases, transmission in the community, and the overall fears and concerns associated with this pandemic. Since the pandemic began, we have tried to remain flexible and agile, staying as true as we can to advice from public health professionals. We can’t know what direction this pandemic will take, but we do know two things: 1) in-person learning best supports our students academically, socially, and emotionally, and 2) our prevention and mitigation strategies have supported keeping in-person learning in place. We will continue to focus on maximizing in-person teaching and learning in a healthy and safe environment and minimizing disruptions. Of course, we will also carefully monitor student and staff absences, and will be prepared to change course at any time if necessary.
COVID-19 Testing
In an effort to keep the coronavirus out of our schools, students and staff are encouraged to test prior to the start of school, if possible. Please see this LCHD Newsletter for testing site options. We know that getting a test at a site can be difficult, so families and staff members may also want to use at-home test kits if accessible to screen for the virus. This testing request is a suggestion to help keep our students and staff members as healthy as possible.
We have been very glad to have Shield Testing in our schools, and attempted to double our testing dates for the first few weeks of school in January so that we’d have as many opportunities as possible to screen for the virus. Unfortunately, due to supply chain concerns and staffing constraints from our testing partner, we were unable to add extra test dates. However, we have successfully moved the dates of testing to the first half of the week. Woodview students and staff will test on either Monday or Tuesday afternoon (instead of Thursday), and Prairieview and Park students and staff will test on Wednesday (instead of Friday). The testing schedules at Avon, Meadowview, Frederick, and GMS have not changed, as those schools already tested early in the week. We expect that this revised schedule will be in effect for the first two weeks of January.
Ongoing Communication
As indicated above, we await any guidance changes from our state and local health departments, and will communicate new information that develops. In the meantime, I wish you a healthy weekend and safe, fun New Year’s celebrations. Glad that it looks like the snow that is coming will clear on Sunday in time for clear passage to in-person learning on Monday!
2021 has brought challenges, that is certain. I hope that you have also found joy in this year, and that even more will come your way in 2022. I know that you join me in looking forward to 2022 with hope.
Sincerely,
Dr. Lynn Glickman
Superintendent
CCSD 46