VVSD Considers Hybrid Plan For Reopening Schools Amid Pandemic

BOLINGBROOK, IL — The Valley View School district has decided on a reopening plan for fall that will be presented to the Board of Education at the Lukancic Middle School on Monday. The recommendation will be for a hybrid plan of in-school and remote instruction (for all levels, except for Early Childhood) with the option for remote-only education if families decide on it, said Superintendent of Schools Rachel Kinder in a release.

During the meeting, district administration will present an overview of recommendations for the 2020-21 school year educational plan and outline what staff and families can expect as a next step moving forward.

The district had sent out a survey last week, seeking recommendations on resuming classes. The survey came after the Illinois State Board of Education and Illinois Department of Public Health released guidelines for the 2020-2021 school year, adjusting learning for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Parents were asked in the survey that if in-person instruction is offered, will their child attend school this fall under the required parameters of use of face coverings, increased hygiene practices, and distancing as possible.

The other question focuses on possible methods of resuming school in the fall. The options for those are:

• In-person instruction daily
• Hybrid (in-person and remote on a set schedule)
• Remote instruction only
• None of the above; the child will be homeschooled or provided with an alternative option for education

Based on the responses from the survey that ended Wednesday, VVSD decided to opt for the hybrid model, but the recommendations will include planning for a return to remote-only learning should the need arise based on the evolving situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, Kinder said.

Following the meeting, the presentation slides and access to a video recording of the meeting will be available on the website.

"We are living in extraordinary circumstances. There is no handbook to follow with a map of the decision-making process for a situation such as this," Kinder said. "We are fortunate to have a strong community that is focused on the education of students, and that is the reason why we will succeed in facing this challenge."