D202 Students Will Not Return To School Until End Of Semester

PLAINFIELD, IL — The Plainfield School District 202 has decided to extend its "adaptive pause" until the end of the semester amid the coronavirus surge. Students will not return to in-person learning until COVID-19 metrics improve, and district officials will continue to assess COVID-19 metrics and guidance from the Will County Health Department.

During Monday's Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Lane Abrell, announced that the district will send an Educational Choice Form to all families the week of Nov. 30 to begin planning for scheduling, staffing and other logistics when students return to buildings.

The COVID-19 virus seven-day positivity rate for Will County reached 19.4 on Friday, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

D202 announced plans in late summer to slowly and safely return students to in-person learning in small groups. Parents could choose whether their students would return or continue with remote learning as the time approached for their students to return.

The first group — about 300 multi-needs special education students — returned to school Oct. 26. About 100 multi-needs students opted to continue with remote learning. They were the first group of students to return because they needed direct attention and support more than other students.

However, as the COVID-19 metrics spiraled upward, the district decided Nov. 9 to put its plans on hold indefinitely and not return more students until conditions improved. The multi-needs students returned to remote learning Nov. 16.

Preschool and kindergarten students were originally scheduled to return Nov. 5. The district announced an "adaptive pause" Oct. 26 as the number of COVID-19 cases started spiking. District 202 started the school year Aug. 31 with remote learning for all students.

District administration will continue to monitor five key metrics:

• Positivity rate (five consecutive data points flat or trending down of COVID-19 cases in Will County).
• Guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Kendall County, Will County and state health departments.
• Cleaning and disinfecting supplies are readily available and able to be refilled in a timely manner.
• Personal protective equipment supplies are readily available and able to be refilled in a timely manner.
• The substitute pool is greater or equal to the number of substitutes needed for in person learning.

Abrell said that the pandemic presents a significant community health issue. The best way to get students back to in-person learning, he said, is to do everything possible to get the numbers of COVID-19 cases and the positivity rate back down to where they were a few months ago, and to become substitute teachers and paraprofessionals.

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