D308 Students Could Return To School In Groups Starting Oct. 19

OSWEGO, IL — Oswego School District 308 students will start returning to school in October amid the coronavirus pandemic. Administrators presented their four-stage plan to the Board of Education during the Monday meeting.

The board, however, took no action on the plan to reopen schools during the meeting, and is expected to vote on it at their next regular meeting set for 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 13 at Oswego East High School.

According to the plan, the first students to come back for in-person classes will be those who are in the district's Cross-categorical, ISP, STARS, LSP, SKILLS, DHH, EVA, and Pathways Transition program at all grade levels. These students would return to the classroom beginning in the week of Oct. 19, pending the board's approval. Information regarding this will be posted to the district's website for parents and families on Sept. 29 and Oct. 1.

Students in Early Childhood up through fifth grade will be returning on Nov. 9 and students in sixth through 12th grade will have the chance to do the same on Dec. 3. Orientation for sixth graders and freshmen will be held on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, respectively.

The board in August had decided in favor of starting the 2020-2021 school year under a Remote For All plan for the district's 16,800 students, and had agreed to review the fully remote program after six weeks.

As per the presentation, the reopening plan has four stages and all of them depend on several factors such as:

• Local and Regional Metrics (IDPH)
• PPE Availability
• Adequate Staffing Levels
• Exclusion/Isolation Requirements
• Revised guidance from ISBE, IDPH, KCHD

In Stage One, the district is fully remote with no staff or students in the building. Stage Two — the one which the district is currently in — allows certain staff members in the buildings. In this stage, sports and training are allowed with IHSA guidelines, and individual classes are in attendance for partial days, with Special Education students and the youngest grades prioritized to return to the classroom first.

In Stage Three, called Hybrid & Remote by Choice, in-person learning is offered at all grade levels, with all staff in buildings. Students are offered the option of remote learning by choice with limited gatherings allowed. When students return to the classroom in Stages Two and Three, they will be part of a hybrid schedule involving both in-school and remote learning. The district is set to enter this stage on Nov. 9.

Stage Four is Full Reopening with all staff and students going back to complete in-person schedules.

The plan also lists the priorities the district administrators examined when creating the plan including minimizing the health risk for staff and students, maximizing in-person instruction and family choice.

Parents will have to self-certify their child's health through the district's Tyler communication program prior to the start of each school day. If a student's form is not submitted, or a parent or guardian chooses not to complete their form, the student will have their temperature and screening check completed by a staff member.

Two options for learning will be offered to students and families before the district is fully reopened. Families will again have the chance to choose between in-person instruction and remote learning. If families do not complete and submit the form, the district will assume that the child will be attending school in-person.

The form for special education students will be sent to families Sept. 29, and is due Oct. 6. Elementary students and the remaining early childhood students, junior high and high school students will all receive their form Oct. 14, and it will be due Oct. 21.

No date was given for the district to enter Stage Four.

View the full plan here.

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