D-205 Approves Plan For Full In-Person Learning

ELMHURST, IL — More than a year after the pandemic started, Elmhurst School District 205 has approved a plan to bring back students to a full in-person schedule.

At its meeting Tuesday, the school board voted unanimously to resume the schedule April 12.

"I want to be clear. Are we voting for a full restoration of school days five days a week in all of our buildings," board member Chris Kocinski asked before the vote.

"Yes," Superintendent Dave Moyer said.

The district confirmed May 28 is the tentative last day of school (a calendar on the website says June 4). But during the board's discussion, member Jim Collins wondered whether the board could extend the year with its five emergency days, commonly known as snow days.

"I can't think of a bigger emergency in education than this past year has been. I think we should talk about using those days," Collins said, adding the district needed to restore as many in-person instructional hours as possible.

Moyer responded that the governor's order on the pandemic allowed schools to count remote learning days toward the number of required school days. He said he did not know of any authority in which the school board could extend the academic year because of remote learning time.

Members Margaret Harrell, Courtenae Trautmann and Kara Caforia asked Moyer to look into the issue and report back in April.

Moyer said he would do so.

The district's decision for full in-person learning April 12 seemed to some residents a reversal of its stance from just a few days earlier. On Thursday, Moyer emailed parents saying the district was planning for a return to such a schedule in the fall, but stated no such intention for this school year.

As the board meeting began, dozens of parents and students took part in a rally outside the district's central office demanding a return to full in-person education. Many were upset with last week's email.

During the meeting, Moyer spoke about planning for the new year. He said remote learning would be a challenge.

"If we are providing remote learning options in the fall, how do we come up with a mode that does not require our teachers to teach simultaneously remote and in person?" the superintendent said. "We have to get away from that. It's extremely taxing on teachers."

He said the district should consider a system in which classes were dedicated to either in-person or remote instruction.

"That's one of the big things we will be working through to make sure we're ready for fall," he said.

Remote learning remains an option for the rest of the school year.

In July, Moyer is starting a new job as a school superintendent in Upstate New York.