Hinsdale 86 Demands Answers From State

HINSDALE, IL — Hinsdale High School District 86 wants answers from the state on how to handle the pandemic next school year. The first day is only eight weeks away.

In a mass email to families Thursday, Superintendent Tammy Prentiss said school districts lack clear guidance on masks, quarantining, lunch, and self-certification and temperature checks.

"Please note that while some members of our community have suggested the state’s guidelines are optional, we have been told by our insurance provider that not following them will put our district at serious risk from a liability standpoint," Prentiss said.

In Elmhurst, at least a couple of school board members have publicly suggested not following the state's guidelines, saying they are not rules.

In her email, Prentiss asked for the public's help to support the request for updated guidelines. She gave a list of lawmakers and state school board members that she would like residents to contact to urge the creation of rules that promote safety and limit restrictions on the learning environment.

"During the past few months, superintendents from across DuPage County have been imploring our state leaders to adopt a more logical and reasonable approach for managing COVID-19 in schools that will create a safe but less restrictive learning environment for students and staff," Prentiss said.