Libertyville District 70’s school board unanimously approved a return to their hybrid model at a special meeting on Monday. Along with this, they spent two hours reading out and hearing public comments from parents concerning the district’s plans for in-person and remote schooling.
Students will begin phasing in starting Monday, Nov. 9, starting with kindergarten and first graders. Nov. 12 will have third through fifth graders, and Nov. 17 will phase in sixth through eighth grade.
After the comments, which were read out by Board President Tom Vickers and Vice President Wendy Schilling, Superintendent Matthew Barbini presented findings of the reopening committee. Much of the presentation went over the various programs and mitigation strategies the district is practicing for the few students using in-school resources.
Barbini also broke down the current rolling case rates for the area, which, since mid-October, have stayed consistently above the threshold recommended for hybrid model schooling. The threshold is between seven and 14 cases per 100,000 people, Lake County information shows. From Oct. 16 to the most recent data, Oct. 29, Libertyville’s 60048 area code has been above the threshold, with most recent data showing 25.6 cases per 100,000, county data shows.
In his presentation, Barbini acknowledged it could be a while until the case rate decreases, making it hard to predict when the district could go back, based on case data, to its hybrid model, he said.
“As a result (of the data), we would not be able to predict when we could return to in-person hybrid instruction,” he said. “And that is really troubling on a variety of different levels.”
Officials said comments on the issue have remained split. Vickers said based on the amount of emails the board receives, combined with the public comments sent, the comments are “fairly equal.”
“(There’s been) sincere advocacy on both sides of this issue,” Vickers said. “I can certainly say . . . that we do hear and consider all these different viewpoints.”
The meeting is one of several held by the district in recent weeks to address and update the public on its plans for returning to in-school learning. Each meeting has been met with several public comments on the same issue, as well as a couple of protests in late September. The board will meet again Wednesday night, Nov. 4. The agenda from the district shows an item for a presentation to the floor, public comments and closed session to interview candidates for the vacant school board spot.
This story has been corrected to reflect that the board of education approved returning to a hybrid model for students.