Elgin-area educators are grappling with questions about the coronavirus and how it might affect the school year.
How much cleaning do schools need? How often should students be reminded to wash hands? Should educators track where families go during spring break? Could e-learning solve any potential disruption to the school year?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says while there can be serious complications for children, it has been uncommon. A World Health Organization report said a small percentage of children made up the infected cases, and even fewer reported severe symptoms.
“My message is one of prevention,” said School District U-46 Superintendent Tony Sanders. “The message is schools are still a safe place.”
“There’s a lot to this. It’s not just day-to-day operations,” added School District 300 Superintendent Fred Heid.
What are the latest figures on the coronavirus?
As of Friday, more than 200 people across 18 states in the U.S. have been infected with this strain of the coronavirus. Twelve people have died from the virus. All but one of the 12 deaths was reported in Washington state. In Illinois, health officials confirmed a fifth case of coronavirus Thursday. No cases have been reported in Kane County.
How are schools being cleaned?
Local schools and school districts have adopted measures following guidelines from the CDC, state and local health departments on how to clean and sanitize buildings.
At School District U-46, bathrooms and common surfaces like front desks and lunchroom tables are cleaned every night, said Sanders. The district’s procedures have schools report attendance to the district by 11 a.m. every day so officials can observe any illness trends in any given classroom and determine whether additional cleaning is required.
St. Charles School District 303 introduced its “super cleaning” procedure in the last week, said spokeswoman Carol Smith.
“Every day they wipe down touchable surfaces — door knobs, desks, telephones, bathroom areas, light switches,” she said. ‘They wipe them down on a nightly basis.”
What about hand washing?
Local school officials agreed unanimously that hand washing is the best way to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the flu, or any other virus. Schools have all forwarded the recommendation to frequently wash hands with soap and hot water for 20 seconds.
Classrooms in the lower grade levels at District 301 are watching CDC videos, said Stirn. In St. Charles, school nurses are visiting elementary school classrooms to remind students of best personal hygiene practices, added Smith.
“As important as cleaning is, it’s of equal importance that people follow good procedures,” added Stirn. “Even if a custodian does the best job possible, someone who doesn’t properly wash their hands can re-contaminate.”
Can students wear masks?
Officials said they would view each instance of a student wearing a mask in school on a case-by-case basis.
“I guess I would have to ask are they sick — and if they are, why aren’t they at home?” said Michael Kagan, Catholic schools superintendent for the Diocese of Rockford, which includes Elgin schools.. “Did the parent ask them to wear it? I don’t know.”
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At School District 300, students are allowed to wear masks if certain conditions are met, like whether a doctor recommended the mask or if the mask is medical-grade.
Could schools close?
Sanders said U-46 schools have closed due to illness-related reasons, such as the H1N1 outbreak in 2009 or when high levels of Legionella bacteria closed three schools in 2015.
St. Charles East High School closed for two days in 2017 due to the norovirus.
St. Mary Catholic School in Elgin closed for two days in early February after 20% of students called in sick due to flu-like symptoms.
Schools in the state have five emergency days to use per school year, although they are only allowed if all schools in that school district or system close. This year’s mild winter kept many schools from using any of its emergency days.
Is e-learning an option?
When St. Mary closed for two days, the school incorporated e-learning — that is, students worked on assignments from home via the Internet. Kagan said 90-95% of its schools are capable of switching to e-learning should schools close due to illness.
In its update to the community, School District 300 officials would “look to use a combination of e-learning and additional school days to make up the lost instructional time.”
St. Charles and U-46 do not see e-learning as a viable option at this time. U-46 spokeswoman Mary Fergus said not all students have Internet access at home, even if they have a district-issued Chromebook. And just like U-46, not all District 303 students have district-issued devices, said Smith.
Are educators worried about spring break travel?
The statuses of some school-sponsored trips abroad during spring break are unclear. High school trips to Italy and other parts of Europe have been canceled or are being re-evaluated in St. Charles and in the Rockford Diocese school system.
“A parent can make the final decision,” Smith said. “But we are looking into whether how (cancellations) impact financially.”
Sanders said U-46 officials anticipate some families will travel during spring break. “I don’t particularly have any issues or concerns of people traveling during spring break,” he said.
Sanders noted the district is following CDC’s current and future policies on people traveling to countries with widespread or sustained outbreaks.
D300 is reminding families on its coronavirus webpage that “if you are traveling abroad to one of the identified countries or your destination is subsequently added while you are traveling (or soon after your return to the United States), your child may be required to stay at home for the 7 to 14 days.”
“Given the growth and expansion of the virus, I wouldn’t be surprised if (other countries) get on that list,” added Heid.