Classes will resume in-person when Hinsdale High School District 86 returns from winter break Jan. 3, despite a recent surge in coronavirus cases, Superintendent Tammy Prentiss said.
In a statement issued prior to winter break, Prentiss noted the significant spike in positive cases across the district. According to the D86 COVID Data Tracker, as of Dec. 21, the district had 107 positive cases, 82 people in isolation and 112 people in quarantine.
Last week, Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South reported 50 and 47 new coronavirus cases, respectively, among students, while 10 employees also tested positive.
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Prentiss reiterated how critical it was for students and staff to follow mitigation measures like mask wearing, practicing social distancing and getting vaccinated against COVID-19, including getting the booster shot. She also stressed the importance of getting tested to help slow the spread of the virus.
“I am not suggesting that anyone needs to alter or cancel their holiday plans, nor am I foreshadowing a shift to remote learning when we return in Jan.,” Prentiss said in the statement.
In an email to Pioneer Press, Prentiss said she continues to monitor the situation by the day, but the intention at this point is to welcome everyone back into school buildings next month. “It is much too early to say where we will be at by Jan. 3,” she said.
District officials have been following guidance from the DuPage County Health Department, Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois State Board of Education and the governor’s office when it comes to making decisions through the pandemic and will continue moving in that direction.
For those that want to get tested for COVID-19, Northshore Clinical Labs is scheduled to be at Hinsdale Central from 8 a.m. to noon on Dec. 28 and 29 in Room 504, and at Hinsdale South from 8 a.m. to noon on Dec. 28 and 29 in Room 126. The service is free and on a walk-in basis.
The district’s coronavirus dashboard shows 81% of Hinsdale Central students are fully vaccinated, while 58% of students are vaccinated at Hinsdale South. At the Transition Center, 65%, or 76 students, are fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, 95% of the district staff is vaccinated as of Dec. 21.
School officials urge students at Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South to continue following the process for reporting positive cases, the need to isolate or the need to quarantine by emailing either [email protected] or [email protected].
Prentiss added that any additional measures or necessary changes in mitigation strategy would be implemented through the Recovery-Revitalization-Restore Committee and the board of education.