Virus No Worse At 2 Elmhurst Private Schools: Statistics

ELMHURST, IL — The Elmhurst public schools and two private schools had about the same rates of students who tested positive for the coronavirus last semester.

The difference: Elmhurst School District 205 was almost entirely remote most of the time, while the two private schools offered a lot more in-person learning.

According to the district's website, 255 students and staff had confirmed cases of the coronavirus last semester. That compares to 12 at IC Catholic Prep and 39 at Timothy Christian Schools (which did not include the staff number). This information comes from officials at the schools.

The rate of coronavirus infections was about 3 percent or less at each school. The district has more than 8,000 students, while IC Catholic Prep and Timothy Christian Schools have 370 and 1,200 students, respectively.

Elmhurst public schools have been almost entirely remote since October. The first few weeks of the semester also were remote. Then the district staggered the reopening of campuses grade by grade. For a short time in early October, the district offered both in-person and remote instruction for all students, known as a hybrid model.

Timothy Christian Schools was fully in-person the entire semester, while IC Catholic Prep offered a blend of in-person and remote learning except an entirely remote week before Thanksgiving.

When Patch reported about Timothy Christian's experience with fully in-person learning last week, the news was greeted enthusiastically by parents who want District 205 to open its doors.

The public schools plan to return to a hybrid of in-person and remote learning on Jan. 11.