Dear St. George School District No. 258 Families,
You may be aware that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released new guidance for K-12 schools related to COVID-19 prevention on Friday, July 9, 2021. Later that afternoon, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced they would be following that guidance. Then the Illinois State the Illinois State Board of Education released a statement indicating adoption of the CDC guidance.
While the St. George CCSD No. 258 Board of Education and Administration are grateful to finally have some guidance, be it only 6 weeks before the start of the new school year, St. George CCSD No. 258 is not prepared at this time to present an updated Return to School Plan because it is important that the District seek out interpretation of the guidance from the school district’s legal counsel, the district’s insurance carrier, and the local health department to ensure that the plan protects the health and safety of all St. George School students and staff. We also will be seeking opinions and collecting concerns from families and staff through a survey. Finally, it has been our experience that ISBE issues changes and/or clarification multiple times after they release their initial guidance.
Once we have reviewed information received from all stakeholders, the Return to School Plan will be updated and posted to our district’s website. Opportunities for families to provide feedback will most certainly be provided and taken into consideration by the district.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we prepare for the start of the 2021-2022 school year.
Sincerely,
Helen Boehrnsen