Dear District 86 Community, 

During last night’s board of education meeting, I shared that the DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) was expected to provide information that will help school districts in our area better understand and implement the updated guidance that the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released on Aug. 12. That information, which was released this afternoon and can be accessed by visiting https://bit.ly/2YGOKxS, focuses on the three levels of COVID-19 transmission (mild, moderate and substantial) in the county and the factors that contribute to them. Those factors include:

  • Weekly county case rates.
  • The percent increase in the weekly county case numbers for two consecutive weeks.
  • The percent increase in the weekly county youth case numbers for two consecutive weeks.
  • Weekly test positivity.

The information also includes recommended actions that schools can take from an instructional and/or operational standpoint to help limit the spread of the virus in our buildings and communities. 

Based on these current factors, DuPage County is currently in the moderate level of transmission. The recommended actions that correspond with this level include:

  • Encourage learning models that maintain at least six feet of physical distancing.
  • Some-to-no mixing of groups of students and teachers throughout/across school days.
  • Some students participate in virtual and some participate in-person. School officials should use their discretion and expertise to determine which populations of students should receive in-person instruction whose needs are less likely to be met by virtual instruction; maintain essential services in-person and/or with remote access.
 
When we announced on Aug. 13 that we would start the school year in our Remote Learning 2.0 model, we said that our Recovery-Revitalization-Restore (R3) Committee would be reviewing and assessing the updated guidance from IDPH and ISBE so that we could determine if additional steps or measures should be taken to help us transition to our hybrid model without lunch as quickly and safely as possible. That work is underway and will greatly benefit from the information provided by DCHD. 

We will share an update on the progress of the R3 Committee during the board meeting on Sept. 10. In the meantime, you can access the DCHD’s comprehensive COVID-19 dashboard by visiting https://bit.ly/3lrBt5L. 

We want to thank DCHD for the assistance it has provided and leadership it has exhibited throughout this crisis. We also want to thank our students, staff, families and community for their continued patience and support as we navigate this complex and challenging situation.

Sincerely, 

Tammy Prentiss
Superintendent