Dear Families,

Happy New Year! I hope you all enjoyed a restful and relaxing winter break with your loved ones.  

Prior to winter break, I shared that D76 would be following the Governor’s Guidelines of Tier 3 Mitigation as well as guidance from Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Department of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium/Lake County Health Department.

In the past few weeks, the Lake County Health Department modified their recommendations to align with the CDC guidance. The change has moved away from utilizing the incidence rate as the major indicator and threshold for determining risk of introduction and transmission of COVID-19 in schools, to now incorporating the mitigation efforts that school districts implement among the factors to consider. This is called a "risk mitigation method" for determining when to open schools.

The research shows that implementation of the 5 key mitigation strategies correctly and consistently is a factor that places schools in the lowest risk category of COVID-19 transmission. See CDC Risk Mitigation Strategies. Because of the mitigation efforts we have implemented in our schools (above and beyond the 5 major ones listed), including daily certification and/or temperature checks, high quality ventilation and the hiring of additional cleaning staff, D76 has been successful since the fall of 2020 when we have had 50 students and 54 staff members working in our buildings without transmission of COVID-19.  We are confident that by collectively following safety protocols we can effectively open and significantly lower the risk for transmission of COVID-19 in our schools.  Please also visit the CDC Website: Indicators for Dynamic School Decision-Making.  

Our decision to return to in-person teaching and learning has always prioritized the health, safety and well-being of our students, staff and community. We will be presenting a more detailed return to in-person teaching and learning plan at the January 19th BOE Meeting, yet I want to present the important dates below with you sooner to help you best plan and prepare your personal schedules.  

We will continue to follow the required protocols (wearing a mask, social distancing, and frequent handwashing) and maintain a safe and healthy teaching and learning environment for all. Please click here for the D76 Health and Safety Plan.

Thank you for your continued patience, understanding and support during these challenging times. Please continue to stay safe and healthy.