By Chris Fox
For The Elmhurst Independent
The Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 Board held a special meeting on Wednesday, July 28 at the District 205 Center, 162 S. York St. Board member Athena Arvanitis was absent from the meeting.
Safety Plan approved
Near the end of the meeting, board members voted unanimously to approve the district’s health and safety plan for the opening of the upcoming 2021-22 school year. The first day of classes in the new school year is Wednesday, Aug. 18.
The district’s plan for the school year includes a pre-COVID-19 pandemic schedule, with five full days of in-person instruction per week. The new school year will also include extracurricular activities. It is important for parents to feel happy about the direction that their chosen school for their child is going in, that is why some parents may decide to look at their options, either by following the real school guide 2022 or looking in their district for other available schools that can support their child’s needs.
The district’s plan states that masks are optional for vaccinated students and staff while they are in school buildings. Masks are strongly recommended for students who have not been vaccinated, or not yet eligible to be vaccinated.
Masks are optional outdoors for all students and staff. Regardless of vaccination status, all students and staff must wear masks while riding district transportation, including school buses.
District 205 Superintendent Dr. Keisha Campbell noted that the plan was subject to change, with collaboration from the board. She said masks may be required if DuPage County’s community transmission rate of COVID-19 reaches the “substantial” level. Campbell noted during the meeting that the county’s community transmission rate of COVID-19 was classified at the moderate level as of July 27.
[Ed. note: The rate did move from “moderate” to the “substantial” level, according to a release received from the DuPage County Health Department that was issued on Wednesday, July 28. See related story elsewhere in this issue.]
State mandates may be coming
Board member Jim Collins noted near the end of the meeting that in the next few weeks, the State of Illinois could mandate what the district has to do regarding its health and safety policies.
More than 25 people spoke about the district’s mask policy during the public participation segment at the beginning of the meeting. Some of the speakers urged the board to mandate mask use in schools. The majority of speakers told board members they supported a mask-optional policy.
One of the speakers who supported a mask-optional policy was Ingrid Palmer-Ruddle, who is a teacher in the district. Palmer-Ruddle also asked the board to provide guidance to teachers about ending conversations about students’ medical information.
Campbell presents health and safety plan
Following the public participation segment, Campbell delivered a presentation about the district’s “Moving Forward Together” health and safety plan for the new school year. Campbell said the district will focus on connections and communications, as well as cultivating positive relationships.
“We will continue to foster a climate of respect and acceptance for all community members, regardless of vaccination status or views on masking,” said Campbell. Several audience members applauded her comment.
Campbell added that the district will continue to receive community feedback and will routinely monitor and revisit its plan to be ready to pivot if needed.
Campbell said that the district was focused on maintaining as close to a typical school year as possible, keeping healthy students in school and engaged in learning, and restoring a sense of normalcy to the district’s learning and extracurricular environments.
The district’s plan calls for keeping three feet of physical distance between people in school buildings, when possible. The district will regularly check and clean the ventilation systems in its buildings. Additionally, the district will reinforce hygiene and respiratory etiquette, along with continuing its enhanced cleaning protocols.
According to Campbell, the district will provide a virtual learning option to a small number of students who have met specific medical criteria.
Campbell encouraged community members with questions and comments about the district’s plan to email [email protected].
“Hundreds” of messages from parents about new policies
Board members proceeded to discuss the district’s plan for the upcoming school year. Board member Christopher Kocinski noted that the board has recently received hundreds of messages that feature an array of opinions on the district’s policies for the new school year. He said the board takes those messages to heart. Kocinski also noted that the district’s children are watching how adults debate and resolve the issues related to the opening of the new school year.
Several board members stressed that they do not want to quarantine healthy children during the new school year. There were reportedly more than 5,000 cases of district students being quarantined during the 2020-21 school year. Of those cases, reportedly only 13-less than 1/100th of 1 percent-wound up testing positive for COVID-19.
Board member Karen Stuefen stated that the district has to balance safety with providing children with an education. She said that mental-health issues among children are on the rise. Stuefen added that while the board looks at national, state and county numbers regarding COVID-19, it also looks at specific data within the district.
Collins: Consider opinions of physicians
Collins stated that he thought the district needed to strongly consider the opinions of physicians who live in the District 205 community. He also referred to Palmer-Ruddle’s comment and said that the district’s teachers should not be having conversations with students in schools about medical decisions. He said those decisions are between students, their parents and their physician.
Grens receives title promotion
The board also voted unanimously during the meeting to approve the title of interim associate superintendent for Dr. Scott Grens, who has been with the district for three years and is currently the district’s assistant superintendent of innovation and systems management. Neither Campbell nor any board member said how long the interim position may be in effect. Campbell noted that since she officially became the district’s superintendent on July 1, she has engaged in numerous listening tours and discussions with principals and other members of the district community. She said Grens’s role as interim associate superintendent may be adapted. Collins stated that Grens’s appointment to the new position will help Campbell carry out her duties.
Aug. 10 meeting canceled
Board president Kara Caforio stated at the end of the July 28 special meeting that the board would cancel its regular meeting scheduled for Aug. 10. She said the board may have to hold another special meeting in the near future. The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Aug. 24.
