More Top Picks Best Acoustic Panels
player ready...With the 2022-23 school year set to begin later this month, District 35 officials are reviewing the latest COVID-19 health guidelines while also bolstering security measures and trying to navigate staffing issues affecting school districts throughout the state.
With children scheduled to return to the district’s three schools on Aug. 25, the District 35 administration is preparing for another year dealing with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“COVID is still part of our life. It is something that we do believe — and our health care team believes — we need to learn to live with and manage and be flexible,” District 35 Superintendent Catherine Wang said at the Aug. 11 school board meeting.
Earlier that day, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued revised guidelines, including schools are no longer recommended to do daily testing. Wang said a district mitigation working group — including school board president Kelly Glauberman — has been working throughout the summer and will review the CDC guidelines to make sure they align with District 35’s policies.
She added the district expects additional updates from Illinois Department of Public Health and local health department regarding COVID-19 policies. Still, Wang said the administration is preparing for full day in person classes for all students, with face masks optional for students, staff and visitors to the buildings.
Wang said if a student tests positive for COVID-19, they are excluded for five days and can return on day six and the intent now is to wear a mask if there are still symptoms.
Wang said they would not recommend weekly SHIELD testing this year.
“That is not something we believe is necessary,” Wang said.
She said antigen tests would be available at the schools if a need arises.
In terms of security given the May mass shootings at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX and then in neighboring Highland Park at the July 4 parade, Director of Finance and Operations Jason Edelheit said there was a review of existing security procedures at a July meeting attended by public safety personnel among other community stakeholders.
He said a takeaway of that meeting was 95% of all threats have a digital component. Therefore, Edelheit said next month there would be a digital threat assessment training session for school officials.
In other security measures, the district has added video cameras at the buildings after its latest review of all vestibules, entries and doors.
“We limit entrances during the day but there are a lot of other doors and access points throughout the (schools) we need to be aware of and make sure everything is in good working order,” Edelheit said. “We are happy to say it is.”
Edelheit said there were public safety training sessions at Central School on August 12 and 15 and a separate training session for staff working with local public safety representatives is set for October 7.
Lastly, Edelheit said the school district is preparing to have its first full security audit in many years later this year, acknowledging the timing of the audit was accelerated due to recent events.
As for the staffing shortages occurring at school districts throughout the state, Wang wrote in an email after the meeting that all of the District 35 teaching positions have now been filled, but the district is still seeking some new personnel.
“We are, however, still in need of Teacher Associates and a few support staff positions to be filled,” Wang wrote. “We continue to seek substitutes to work in our schools. We continue to seek new ways to post positions and spread the word of openings beyond our region. That has certainly helped us to reach more candidates. The shortage is real — we are doing all we can to prioritize the student needs as we fill positions.”
More Top Picks Best Weighted Shoulder Wraps For Anxiety
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.