District 211 On Target For Hybrid Scenario Start: Superintendent

PALATINE, IL — In a letter to families, Township High School District 211 Superintendent Lisa Small said Thursday that District 211 remains on target for a hybrid learning model as early as Oct. 26.

In the recent update, Small said the district continues working with the most recent information provided by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Illinois High School Association (IHSA).

According to the update, the IDPH health school metrics determination of community spread of the coronavirus continues focusing on five metrics, which should remain in the minimal and moderate range (specified here). They are:

1) Weekly New Case Rate per 100,000 People

2) Test Positivity

3) Weekly Count of New Cases Increase

4) Weekly Count of New Youth Cases Increase

5) County Transmission

As of Oct. 9, the four-week health metric data for suburban Cook County remains moderate or below for the above five metrics.

"Should a 'substantial' designation for a metric occur, the Cook County Department of Public Health will be contacted for an evaluation of the specific metrics in relationship to the in-person plan and the specific areas of District 211," Smart stated, in the letter.

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In addition, there are operational metrics that must remain at a reasonable threshold to maintain in-person operations: The availability of personal protective equipment, sanitation and disinfecting supplies, licensed personnel, non-licensed personnel and consistent implementation of safety protocols to limit quarantine numbers caused by in-school transmission (remaining six-feet apart, wearing masks, remaining home when exhibiting any COVID-19 symptom, hand sanitizing, and systems limiting 50 people in any area).

Related:

• District 211 Plans Switch To Hybrid Learning By End Of October
  
• District 211 Shares School Bus Safety Changes
• Ready, Set, Remote Learning: District 211, 15, 54 Announce Plans

"The operational metrics continue to remain at a reasonable threshold to continue having students in school and move to the planned in-person, morning Hybrid Scenario for additional students as early as October 26," Smart added.

>> More information including next steps and recent metrics

According to Smart, once the Hybrid Scenario is in place, District 211 will work in partnership with the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) to implement mitigation strategies if school outbreaks related to transmission of the virus in school occur. If this happens, Smart added that mitigations may include, but are not limited to, multiple individual quarantines; classroom, bus rider or team quarantines; canceling non-essential events; or temporary in-person school closure.

Read entire update