Dear District 58 Families,
We hope this email finds you well and that you are having a wonderful summer. Having said that, we realize that this summer is like none we have ever experienced. We are certain that many of you are just like us and are staying up late trying to picture what school can look like in the fall. Please know that the health, safety, and well-being of our families is our highest priority.
The Remote Learning Task Force concluded its work on June 30, 2020. Additionally, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) issued guidance to school districts in late June as to how schools could open for onsite instruction in the fall. Like many documents from ISBE, the recent documents left us with many more questions than answers. The team has been carefully reviewing the guidance with our legal team, partner districts, and the DuPage County Health Department (DCHD).
The District Leadership Team met on Wednesday, July 8, 2020 to discuss possible options for the reopening of school this fall. We also spent a great deal of time discussing safety protocols that need to be in place for our students and staff. All of the guidance from ISBE as well as the DuPage County Health Department to date strongly emphasizes a return to onsite instruction for children under 13 with strict adherence to safety measures. Safety measures include the mandatory wearing of masks and social distancing of six feet to the greatest extent possible.
At the School Board meeting on Monday evening, our team will discuss the various instructional options available to school districts for the fall. When adhering to the guidance, those options include fully remote, blended learning and modified onsite learning.
At this time, the administration intends to recommend that students and staff return for modified onsite learning. Modified onsite learning means all students and staff are onsite full time/five days per week with strict adherence to safety measures and guidance. Instruction, however, will not look the same as it did onsite last school year. At the meeting, we will present a framework of what this can look like. This will be an initial overview; there are a myriad of details that need to be addressed and we will spend the coming weeks developing those details once the Board considers and approves a framework. We are also developing an option for families who may not be able to support a return to onsite learning. PLEASE NOTE THIS IS ONLY A RECOMMENDATION. THE BOARD OF EDUCATION WILL DISCUSS THIS RECOMMENDATION AND WILL MAKE THE FINAL DECISION.
You are invited to tune into the Board meeting to gain a better understanding of the various scenarios. The public may view the meeting via a live stream on the Village of Downers Grove’s YouTube page at www.youtube.com/VillageDownersGrove. After the meeting has concluded, this live stream will be saved on YouTube and posted to the District 58 website.
For those who choose to attend the meeting in person, due to Phase 4 guidelines, seating will be limited to 28 on a first-come, first-served basis. Social distancing must be adhered to and all visitors must wear a mask. The doors will open at 6:45 p.m.
Even after Monday night’s presentation, we recognize that there will be many more questions. We are committed to listening to and communicating with our families as we work to put everything in place for the fall. A survey will be sent out next week so we can gain a better understanding of your family’s perspective. We are committed to working with all of our families as we return to school, and are developing options for families who may not be able to support a return to onsite learning.
Additionally, the District will create a form attached to the survey so families can submit questions online; we encourage you to use this format to submit questions so that our administrative team can handle the anticipated volume of questions while maintaining our commitment to prompt responses. As always, we appreciate your input and value your partnership in education.
Sincerely,
District 58 Central Office Administrative Team