By Chris Fox
For The Elmhurst Independent
The Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 Board held a regular meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 17. All seven board members joined members of the district administration to participate in the virtual meeting, which took place remotely. Board president Kara Caforio stated that current health concerns made it neither practical nor prudent to hold an in-person meeting.
The board recognized the district’s six winners of the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) 2020 Those Who Excel Awards. The District 205 winners this year include community volunteer Kristi Amendola (Award of Excellence), Bryan Middle School educational assistant Susan Mooshool (Award of Excellence), Hawthorne/Jackson Elementary School kindergarten teacher Abby Udelhofen (Award of Excellence), The District 205 Technology Department (Award of Merit), Sandburg Middle School teacher Susan Stephenson (Award of Merit) and Jackson Elementary School principal Christine Trendel (Award of Merit).
The board also noted it was presenting its Shining Star Award to Lincoln Elementary School second-grade teacher Katie McDonough.
Board member Courtenae Trautmann read nearly 30 comments submitted from members of the public for the board meeting’s public-participation segment. Some of the comments commended the district for recently moving from a hybrid model of instruction to fully remote learning. Other comments stated that remote learning was not effective for their children, and that the district’s schools should open for in-person instruction.
Governor’s extends mitigation measures
District 205 Superintendent David Moyer noted that Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker had just announced that the entire state would be placed into Tier 3 COVID-19 mitigations as of Friday, Nov. 20. Moyer added that the IHSA had placed a pause on all winter sports until at least early January.
Moyer said there has been a pronounced spike in COVID-19 cases in the area since Oct. 1. He said that half of the 124 positive student and staff cases in the district this year have come in the previous month. Those 62 positive COVID-19 cases in the past month included 38 cases in students and 24 in staff members.
Moyer said that the DuPage County Health Department gives the district some flexibility for including more localized metrics of COVID-19 positivity. If the district included those local metrics along with statistics from all of DuPage County, it could allow for an earlier return to some in-person instruction. The district transitioned from a hybrid model of instruction to fully remote instruction as of Oct. 21.
Staffing remains an issue
Moyer also referred to the extreme challenges the district faced in terms of its staffing during the current pandemic. He said the district has more than 700 certified staff members.
Board member Christopher Kocinski stated that the district has hundreds of thousands of square feet of space, and he said he hoped the district could find a way to at least get the district’s most vulnerable students back into school buildings.
Board member Jim Collins asked if it would be possible for the district to open and close its buildings on a school-by-school basis, depending on positive rates of COVID-19. Moyer said the district would not necessarily have to close all of its schools if there was a need to close a particular school in the future. Moyer added that providing specific information regarding COVID-19 cases at certain schools could potentially cause problems with privacy issues.
Board member Karen Stuefen noted that some of the district’s students are thriving in remote learning, while others are not. She added that some of the district’s teachers are excelling in remote instruction, while others are having a hard time. Stuefen said she hoped the district could find a way to consider more localized COVID-19 metrics in an effort to open at least some district schools to in-person instruction.
Later in the meeting, the board voted unanimously to approve the “D205 Metrics and Factors for Decisions on Hybrid/Remote Learning,” to allow for the district to consider localized metrics when deciding if its schools could open to in-person instruction.
Some special learners to return to district buildings
Moyer and the board discussed the possibility of getting some of the district’s students with special needs—about 200 students—back into district buildings as soon as Nov. 19. Moyer and district administrators referred to the challenges of operating during a period of substantial transmission of COVID-19. They also referred to a problem in procuring pediatric K-95 and N-95 masks, along with the difficulty in securing bus drivers.
A few days after the meeting, Moyer issued an updated message to the community in which he stated that he was authorizing certain special learning populations to return to district buildings, effective Nov. 30.
Board considers COVID-19 testing but could cost $440K
As the Nov. 17 meeting continued, Moyer and the board discussed the potential of spending money to conduct COVID-19 tests on district students and staff members. Moyer said it appears young children are less likely to transmit the virus, and the most benefit could be gained by testing students in grades 6-12. He said that testing all of the district’s grade 6-12 students, along with all employees who agree to testing, could cost about $440,000 if tests were conducted once a week during January and February of 2021.
Collins said that testing could be a strategic tool, but it could also amount to the biggest waste of money in the history of the district. He said he would like to hear from experts on both sides of the issue of the benefits of COVID-19 testing. Stuefen added that the board wanted Moyer to come back with more information about testing. Moyer and the board agreed to further discuss the issue in December.
Agency hired for school psychology services
The board voted unanimously during the meeting to approve the superintendent’s consent agenda, which included the approval of an agreement with a staffing agency to help provide school psychologist services. The district reported it is in need of an additional school psychologist. Kevin Rubenstein, the district’s assistant superintendent of student services, noted during the meeting that the district is focusing on mental health issues during the current period of remote instruction. Rubenstein said the district is conducting a universal screener of students. He said the students’ answers can help the district identify students who are at high risk for depression and anxiety.
The board will hold its next regular meeting on Dec. 15.
