District 203 Opts For Remote Learning To Start School Year

NAPERVILLE, IL — Naperville Community Unit School District 203 will not be kicking off the 2020-21 school year with a hybrid learning model after all. The school district announced Friday that it will begin the upcoming school year with remote learning before re-evaluating the situation in six weeks and possibly transitioning to a hybrid learning model.

The shift comes amid new guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), which released its updated recommendations July 23, District 203 Superintendent Dan Bridges said in a letter to community members.

Bridges wrote, "This is an extremely difficult decision that was reached based on many considerations. Please recognize this might be welcome news for some of our families, but others will find this decision disappointing. Our primary goal continues to be to develop and implement a plan that can be flexible and responsive to the changing conditions of the pandemic and ultimately return to full in-person instruction."

Bridges added that the modified Return to Learn plan will be presented at the Board of Education Meeting Monday at 7 p.m. Attendance is limited to 50 people, but the meeting will also be presented via livestream.

District 203 announced last week that it will delay the start of the 2020-21 school year to Sept. 1.