In-Person Learning 5 Half-Days A Week For D202 Starting April 7

PLAINFIELD, IL — With the release of the joint revised guidelines from the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Public Health last week regarding return to in-person instruction, the Plainfield School District 202 said Thursday that its students will return to classes for five half-days a week starting April 7.

In a letter to district families, Superintendent Lane Abrell noted some key points of this new plan:

• Classes will no longer be divided into A/B groups
• Students will attend class each school day
• Social distancing will be followed to the largest extent possible
• Students and staff must still wear masks at all times, except for a small number of exempted conditions
• Buses will carry up to 50 students
• Students will not eat lunch at school because of mask, social distancing requirements, and space restrictions

According to a release from the district, this shift is possible because of three critical changes which make it easier to safely return more students to the classroom. On March 9, ISBE released new pandemic guidelines reflecting the recent updated Centers for Disease Control guidelines.

These new guidelines significantly changed several requirements, but most importantly regarding social distancing, that had previously restricted the district's ability to return more students to in-person learning.

Social distance for in-person learning is now defined as 3 to 6 feet for students and fully-vaccinated staff. Maintaining 6 feet remains the safest distance, but schools can operate at no less than 3 feet in order to provide in-person learning. Unvaccinated staff should maintain 6 feet social distance as much as possible because adults remain more susceptible to infection than children.

"That shift is a game changer for a district as big as ours," Abrell said. "Every option we looked at to get more kids back to in-person learning simply didn’t work because we don’t have enough space in our buildings if we have to keep kids 6 feet apart."

At the same time, between 46-74 percent of families, depending on school level, indicated in a new Educational Choice Form that D202 sent out that they preferred their students return in person for as much time as possible.

Finally, about 72 percent of all District 202 staff will have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine by March 17. The vaccines need about two weeks to fully take effect. That period ends during the district’s spring break.

"The vaccinations significantly improve our ability to safely return students to the classroom as quickly as possible," Abrell said. "We thank our staff for making that choice for themselves, and for our students, schools, and the community."

The district had started bringing in its students for in-person learning in small groups between Jan. 25- Feb. 16, after it had to go on an adaptive pause in November when COVID-19 metrics in Will County and the state began to spike.

However, in spite of these improvements, students cannot start attending full-day classes or eat lunch in school due to ongoing mask and space limitations. But, Abrell said, returning five half-days is a highly anticipated, and very welcome step in the right direction.

"We have said from the beginning that everyone involved wants all students back in our classrooms as soon as possible when it was safe to do so," he said. “We miss seeing and hearing the kids, and we know they need to be here."

D202 plans to return to its traditional schedule of in-person learning at the beginning of the next school year on Aug. 18, Abrell said.

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