Schools To Reopen In Fall With Masks, Coronavirus Rules: Pritzker

ILLINOIS — With summer officially underway, parents and teachers got the news they've been waiting for. Will students return to Illinois schools this fall, despite the coronavirus pandemic? The answer, according to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, is yes — with masks, new social distancing protocols and the possibility of a return to e-learning if there's another wave of the coronavirus.

After five consecutive weeks of declining coronavirus case counts and COVID-19 deaths, Pritzker on Tuesday announced plans to return to in-person learning.

IL Phase 4: Here's What Reopens, What's Allowed

"Each school district and each university will develop and implement a reopening plan that meets the needs of their community and the children they serve," he said.

Plans will be in line with state guidance as the state moves into phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan, and measures include wearing masks, limiting gatherings to 50 people or fewer, increasing school cleaning and disinfection, and even implementing symptom checks at schools.

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The entire state is on track to move into phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan on Friday.

"Illinois has done better than almost every other highly populated state" in controlling the virus, Pritzker said, and as a result it "has seen dramatic declines in COVID-19 deaths."

But while Pritzker was optimistic about in-person classes resuming, he cautioned that schools could close again in the event of another major coronavirus outbreak.

"In the event of a dramatic reversal (of rules), or a second wave, we may have to return to remote instruction," he said.

"Lives are in your hands, and you've saved so many with your actions," Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike said Tuesday. Ezike said Illinois has reported a decrease in new positive cases — despite increased testing — with 601 new coronavirus cases reported Tuesday, down from a peak of more than 4,000 new cases daily.

Trump Suggests U.S. Slow Virus Testing To Avoid Bad Statistics

"Please forget what you heard; increased testing is a good thing," Ezike said, likely referring to President Donald Trump's comments at his Tulsa, Oklahoma, rally in which he said, "When you do testing to that extent, you're going to find more people, you're going to find more cases. So I said to my people, 'Slow the testing down, please.' They test and they test."

Thirty-eight additional deaths were reported Tuesday, for a total of 6,707 deaths statewide.

Ezike advised everyone to practice the Three W's: Wash your hands, watch your distance (stay at least 6 feet apart) and wear a face covering.

Masks, more resources for schools

In addition, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (will provide public K-12 districts in Illinois with 2.5 million cloth face masks, allowing K-12 schools to provide a cloth face mask to all students and staff.

"Classroom learning provides necessary opportunities for our students to learn, socialize and grow," Pritzker said. "The benefits of in-person instruction can't be overstated."

The Illinois State Board of Education also received $569 million in federal funding from the CARES Act for K-12 education, approximately $512 million of which will go directly to school districts to address local needs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. IBSE will use the remaining $54.1 million to provide additional funding to schools in six categories: laptops and tablets, internet connectivity, virtual coaching for teachers, professional development, and support for entities that cannot receive direct funds due to ineligibility for Title I.

Local agencies must apply to ISBE to receive funding from the CARES Act, and the amount received will be based on the number and percentage of low-income students they serve. ISBE has already received applications from 580 local education agencies for this funding, with the goal of purchasing a variety of tools and resources, including technology devices, Wi-Fi hot spots, and health and safety equipment for schools in need. Local school districts also plan to use funding to hire mental health support staff to provide services for students, families and staff. ISBE has already approved 534 applications and distributed nearly $3 million in funds.

"Nothing compares to face-to-face interactions between students and their teachers," said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala. "This fall will not be 'business as usual' in more ways than one. Our students will return to us transformed and hungry for knowledge that contextualizes current events."

Each school district will determine how to implement the new coronavirus guidance based on its enrollment, school facilities, staffing, transportation and technological capacity. ISBE is strongly urging schools and districts to provide in-person instruction for all students, especially those under age 13, "to ensure children have rich instructional environments."

Guidance for K-12 Schools

The IDPH requirements for schools to reopen in Phase 4 are:

• Require use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including face coverings;
• Prohibit more than 50 individuals from gathering in one space;
• Require social distancing whenever possible;
• Conduct symptom screenings and temperature checks or require self-certification that individuals entering school buildings are symptom free; and
• Increase school wide cleaning and disinfection.

The full guidance can be seen on the ISBE website.

Guidance for higher education

When students return to campus this fall, they can expect new prevention measures from colleges and universities, including social distancing, physical spacing, hand sanitizing stations, face covering requirements and regular monitoring of students for symptoms of COVID-19.

Schools are developing policies around traffic flow and the cleaning of public spaces, and implementing staggered schedules for the use of laboratories, auditoriums and other group facilities. Small-group sessions and meetings with professors will also have to adhere to social distancing guidelines.

But colleges expect dormitories, cafeterias, libraries, bookstores and other amenities of college life to be available to students using the new guidelines, according to a press release from Pritzker's office.

The full list of guidelines is available at The Illinois Board of Higher Education website.

Community colleges

Guidance for Illinois' community colleges takes into consideration where each institution is located and is separated into three main categories: General Health and Safety, Instructional Guidelines and Student Services.

Illinois Community College Board recommendations include:

• In-person education will require face coverings to be worn by faculty, staff and students.
• Community colleges should conduct health screenings on employees, students and visitors before each campus visit.
• Community colleges should take additional measures to ensure social distancing and safety as determined by the features of spaces, learning methods and other factors.
• Each community college should consider the needs of vulnerable staff or students when administering guidelines.

The guidance was developed in partnership with the ICCB's Return to Campus Committee and approved by IDPH. The full list of guidelines is available at the ICCB website.

Financial aid

Families hit by coronavirus-related financial challenges can seek an adjustment in their financial aid offers from colleges and universities for the fall based on a change in their financial circumstances. Students in need of additional financial assistance should contact the financial aid office at the colleges or universities where they are enrolled or have been admitted.

"The Illinois Student Assistance Commission is here to support students on their path to — or back to — college this fall," Eric Zarnikow, executive director of ISAC, said in a statement. "We continue to provide free resources to help students and families with college planning and financial aid through one-on-one assistance from the ISACorps members in their community, our call center, and the tools and resources on our website, at www.isac.org. If you need help completing your FAFSA or Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid or in seeking financial aid adjustments based on changed financial circumstances, or just aren’t sure how to find your educational path beyond high school, please contact us for assistance."

Families looking for additional resources and links specifically related to returning to campus and financial aid during the COVID-19 pandemic should visit: isac.org/covid-19.