VVSD Students Will Return To School In Groups Starting Tuesday

BOLINGBROOK, IL — Students of the Valley View School District will return to school in groups starting Tuesday amid the coronavirus pandemic. During the Monday Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Rachel Kinder said that since Will County has seen a decrease in the transmission of the virus over the past two months, the district can be gradual with a "phased return at each level."

This, she said, will allow the district to be "very intentional and measured" as it implements safety protocols and helps students adjust to them.

According to the plan, hybrid learning will begin with multi-needs students in elementary, middle school grades, kindergarten and first grade on Tuesday. On Jan. 25, grades 2, 3, 7 and high school seniors will begin a rotation of in-person learning. Finally, in February, grades 4, 5, 8, 9 and later high school sophomores and juniors will begin with in-person learning.

View the more detailed timeline here.

The district began the year with full remote learning as the number of COVID-19 cases began to rise. It had planned to bring back students in the fall but later decided to pause on-site learning for all students, including those in special programs or targeted groups starting Nov. 16 as cases surged once again.

"It has been ten months since school districts across the state closed last spring in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. At that time, we hadn’t fully realized that this would be such a long-term issue that we would be continuing to deal with nearly a year later and into the foreseeable future," Kinder said. "We are excited about this milestone in our Return Together 365U plan, but at the same time, we are realistic about the challenges that lie ahead as everyone makes adjustments."

She acknowledged that it will be challenging for students and families to adapt to new routines, new schedules, or new class assignments. There will also be many challenges for teachers and support staff who will once again face heavy demands in meeting the needs of learners on-site and at-home.

Families are required to complete symptom screening and temperature checks for each child prior to their departure for school every day.