OLCHS Goes Full Remote As Staff And Student COVID-19 Cases Rise

OAK LAWN, IL — All instruction will take place remotely at Oak Lawn Community High School will return to full remote learning starting Nov. 16 for the remainder of the semester. The decision was driven by sharp increase of staff and students who’ve tested positive coronavirus over the past two weeks.

“[W]e have come to a critical point in delivering in-person instruction,” Supt. Dr. Michael Riordan said in an email to parents.

As of Sunday, two OLCHS staff members tested positive for COVID-19; 20 staff are currently quarantining. Twenty-five students have tested positive and 135 students are quarantining, according to the school’s weekly report.

“To the best of our understanding, all the positive cases were the result of exposure away from school,” the D229 superintendent said in an email.

Riordan added the district officials have been working with the county health department to conduct any contact tracing as need with positive COVID-19 cases.

"This has led to additional students and staff needing to quarantine," Riordan said.

The number of students who’ve chosen full remote learning has also increased by 50 percent since the beginning of the school year and continues to grow. CHSD 218, which includes Richards High School, announced last week that its district high schools would return to remote learning through Thanksgiving weekend, at the minimum.

The rising number of COVID-19 cases at OLCHS is comparable to Oak Lawn’s positivity rate which reached 16.65 percent as of Nov. 7. The Cook County Department of Public Health also reported 260 cases in the village last week, a 107-percent increase. The positivity rate could exceed 17 percent this week. Coronavirus cases at Advocate Christ Medical Center are counted with patients’ towns of origin.

The return to full remote learning is referred to as an “adaptive pause” by Illinois Department of Public Health. The strategy allows for movement into any level of remote learning to prevent disease transmission during a pandemic. During an adaptive pause, school officials may consult with their local health department and to plan a response.

Programs such as individualized learning, drivers education, tutoring and career and technical education lab courses, will also remain on remote through at least Dec. 4. Campus WiFi will remain open and available to students from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Students can sign up for WiFi on Campus using Arena Scheduling in Skyward.

D229’s administrative team say they will reevaluate and update students and parents on these programs on Dec. 1. Please consult the calendar at www.olchs.org for the most current scheduling information.