D308 Revises School Reopening Plans Amid Pandemic

OSWEGO, IL — After reviewing different plans, the Oswego School District 308 Board of Education reached a decision regarding the reopening of schools amid the pandemic. During its Monday meeting, the board approved a revised plan in a 5-2 vote. Board members Heather Moyer and Toni Morgan voted against the changes.

The majority of the district's more than 17,000 students have been participating in online instruction since the start of the school year last August. According to the district's earlier reopening plan, general education and special education elementary and early childhood students were set to enter hybrid learning Jan. 19. General and special education junior high students, along with high school students in self-contained special education classes, would begin Jan. 25. General education high school students would begin hybrid learning Feb. 1.

During the meeting, members decided that plans will remain as they currently are until Feb. 12, although high school students will now begin hybrid learning the week of Jan. 25.

The district examined two plans — A/B groups for in person instruction on different days or A and B groups attending classes together for five days. Remote learning would be still offered for those opted for it.

According to phase one of the plan that got approved, students will be divided into groups that will alternate in-person for half of the school day, and would finish their days in remote learning throughout the week.

Phase two will begin Feb. 15. The changed plans will include split A/B groups for junior high and high school students similar to the first phase, while elementary school students will attend school in-person for five half-days a week and continue remote learning in the afternoon, followed by five days of remote learning. No students will eat lunch while in school.

The board will revisit the plan during its Feb. 22 meeting.

Organized by the Facebook group called Rally to Open SD308 for All Students, a group gathered Monday before the meeting to demand that schools reopen sooner. While some parents are pleased with the board's decision, others think this plan is not conducive to a non-disruptive schedule for the children.

"I Just hate to put my kids through more schedule changes. I just wish they would’ve just pushed back the dates until later January or February and just started the kids five days a week versus the two days a week and then totally flipping the script so soon," one parent wrote on the Facebook group.

Board member Ruth Kroner acknowledged that while the current remote learning plan is working well for some, it is "heartbreaking" to see the high number of students for whom it is not working and that is "not acceptable."

"We just cannot wait any longer," she said about sending students back to school. "The longer we wait the longer our kids are suffering. Students are failing."