Schools
West Aurora Schools To Reopen; East Aurora Remote Through Feb. 5
Students in West Aurora schools are set to return next week, while East Aurora students will continue learning remotely amid the pandemic.
AURORA, IL — Students in West Aurora schools are set to return to in-person learning next week, but their peers on the city’s East Side will be learning remotely for at least four more weeks.
With new cases in Aurora down about 66 percent from its all-time high just before Thanksgiving, West Aurora District 129 officials are moving forward with their plans to bring students back on Tuesday for the start of the third quarter.
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The district’s hybrid instruction plan splits high school students who opted for in-person learning into four rotating groups, based on students’ last names. Each group will spend one day in classrooms per week, with all District 129 students to learn remotely on Fridays.
Middle school students will be split into two groups, which will rotate each day between the classroom and remote learning.
Find out what's happening in Aurorafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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Elementary students will also be split into two groups, with group A attending classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, while Group B is set to attend Tuesdays and Thursdays. The two groups will attend class on alternating Fridays.
Officials have said they will re-evaluate their return-to-school plans every two weeks, with the goal of safely adding more students to classrooms.
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District 129 Superintendent Jeff Craig asked for cooperation and patience from students and families as they work to reopen schools.
“I would remind all of us, that each of us has a role in staying healthy, following the protocols and being respectful of others,” Craig wrote in an update. “This will be a heavy lift at all levels and in all aspects. We need everyone to do their part.”
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Despite the recent drop in new cases, the city’s seven-day rolling average is still higher than it was at any point during the five months between the end of May and the end of October, public health data shows.
East Aurora District 131 officials announced last month that students will continue learning remotely until at least Feb. 5, with just 14 percent of parents saying they wanted their kids to return to classrooms for the district’s third quarter.
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The 60505 ZIP code on Aurora’s East Side was recording higher positivity rates than much of the state last month, Superintendent Jennifer Norrell said when announcing the remote-learning extension.
Norrell thanked parents for completing the survey and helping the district’s leadership create safe return-to-school plans.
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“Parents, you have been incredible partners with us throughout this unprecedented and challenging time in our lives,” Norrell said. “I realize the pandemic has been life-changing for us all, and for some, it has been tragic.”
“Thank you for all you have done, above and beyond, to help your child succeed,” she said. “You have made a difference.”
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