Dolton 149: Return to School is Not “Business as Usual”

(Calumet City, IL) – Dolton School District 149 students return to in-person learning in the new school year, but big, pandemic-induced changes in the school buildings will be in place on their arrival on Monday, August 30.

The top changes include modified classroom capacity, plexi glass shields installed on all student desks, social distancing, daily symptoms screenings, daily mask wearing, among other measures.

“The COVID-19 crisis shook our teaching and learning to the core, but we have an opportunity to emerge stronger and to make lasting changes in the ways Dolton 149 supports, teaches, and values each of our students in our care,” Dolton 149 School Board President Rayya Ghani. “This return to school is not ‘business as usual’ but rather the convergence of a new reality in Illinois education.”

Dolton 149’s decision to return to full, in-person learning has been approved by the Illinois State Board of Education in consultation with District 149 Board of Education, the district leadership team, government officials, and official guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health, according to Ghani.

All registered Dolton School District 149 students who return to in-person instruction will need to “comply with all recommended guidelines,” says the district’s top administrator.

“In preparation for full in-person instruction, Dolton School District 149 has devised a plan to include the protocols developed by the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the Center for Disease Control,” said Superintendent Dr. Shelly Davis-Jones. “If students are to attend school, they will need to comply with all recommended guidelines, including social distancing, daily symptom screenings, and daily mask wearing.”

Relying on Illinois State Board of Education and Illinois Department of Public Health guidance, Dolton 149 has adopted a comprehensive set of student and staff protocols:

• Require use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Require facemasks, at all times, except at breakfast and lunch.
• Provide plexi glass shields on all student desks.
• Require COVID-19 posters and social distance markers in designated areas.
• Recommend 6 feet social distancing be observed, as much as possible.
• Require all schools conduct symptom screenings and temperature checks daily.
• Require students with temperatures of 100.4 to move to the isolation room and contact parents. Student must quarantine for 14 days.
• Require water bottles be given to all students daily to maintain hydration via Organic Life.
• Require students to wash and/or sanitize hands frequently throughout the day.
• Set washroom breaks daily ensuring proper cleaning and sanitizing after each use.
• Require all visitors to have appointments upon entry to all school buildings.
• Require an increase in school wide cleaning and disinfecting.
• Provide communication about social distancing and safety for staff and students through: newsletters, marquees, robocalls, flyers, social media (Facebook & Twitter), press releases, Class Dojo, Google Classroom and the district website.
• Provide communication about COVID-19 testing for students 12 years and older on the district website and information to parents about upcoming vaccination clinics in the Southland area.

“Because Dolton 149 believes in science, all students, staff, administrators and visitors in any of our District facilities must wear face coverings at all times,” said Dr. Davis-Jones, “unless they are younger than two years of age or have trouble breathing with the necessary medical documentation on file.”

The district will provide face coverings (masks/face shields) for staff and students during the instructional day. Students are allowed to wear personal masks, but not bandanas or scarves, that adhere to the district’s dress code, according to Dr. Davis-Jones.

Ghani hails staff, community, and parent efforts to create plan.

“Staff, parents, community members, board members, and administrators worked collectively and diligently in the creation of our back-to-school plan that prioritized the health and safety of our students,” said Ghani. “Each member of this team showed tremendous dedication, and I would like to thank them for their tireless efforts.”

The district’s plan is “subject to change.”

“These requirements are subject to change as public health guidance is updated and as public health conditions change,” said Dr. Davis-Jones. “We are keeping our eye focused on the COVID19 Delta variant.”

davidormsby@davidormsby.com