Important updates regarding the 2020-21 school year and COVID-19

Pictured is District 88 Superintendent Dr. Scott Helton.

This week has been an exciting one at District 88, as we hosted our annual back-to-school meetings to prepare for the 2020-21 school year.

Although the start of school won’t look the same this year, we can’t wait to reconnect with our students and welcome them back. Yes, this year will be different. And yes, this year will have challenges. But with those challenges come opportunities and new possibilities. Our administrators and department heads came together (virtually) this week, and I couldn’t be more proud of their passion and determination. While there is uncertainty and questions yet to be answered, our staff is resolved to remain focused on building futures for our pupils.

We shared best practices and tools/resources for online academic lessons and discussed our commitment to sustaining an equitable and inclusive environment and how we can support the well-being of all students and staff. The innovation and enthusiasm of our staff members and their desire to help students succeed despite dealing with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is truly inspiring. We know this year will be difficult as we continue to face this unprecedented situation, but we look forward to working together with all of our stakeholders in 2020-21 to accomplish our mission of working for the continuous improvement of student achievement.

2020-21 RETURN TO SCHOOL PLAN

  • We will begin the 2020-21 school year on Aug. 24 with Remote Learning. During this stage, all instruction and resource support will be remote (with exceptions for special student populations).

  • The Board and administration will reevaluate the status of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Return to School Plan during the Oct. 5 Board of Education meeting. Should guidance from Centers for Disease Control, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, the Illinois and DuPage County health departments, the Illinois State Board of Education and the DuPage Regional Office of Education change, we will reassess whether Remote Learning is the safest option, or whether we can move to Remote Plus or Blended Remote. We will monitor the situation on an ongoing basis and will discuss developments during our August and September Board of Education meetings as well.

  • During Remote Learning, students will follow a block schedule on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The schedule will consist of 80-minute periods and a resource (see below).
Time Monday Tuesday Thursday Friday Minutes
7:00 - 7:40 Period 0 Period 0 Period 0 Period 0 40
7:45 - 9:05 Period 1 Period 5 Period 1 Period 5 80
9:15 - 10:35 Period 2 Period 6 Period 2 Period 6 80
10:45 - 12:05 Period 3 Period 7 Period 3 Period 7 80
12:15-1:35 Period 4 Period 8 Period 4 Period 8 80
1:40-2:25 Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch 45
2:30-3:00 Resource Resource Resource Resource 30

 

  • On Wednesdays, students will follow a traditional schedule with eight periods (see below). Each period will be 35 minutes. This will allow for deep cleaning/sanitation of the facilities and for weekly breakfast and lunch distribution to District 88 students.

Time Period Minutes
7:00-7:35 Period 0 35
7:45-8:20 Period 1 35
8:25-9:00 Period 2 35
9:05-9:40 Period 3 35
9:45-10:20 Period 4 35
10:25-11:00 Period 5 35
11:05-11:40 Period 6 35
11:45-12:20 Period 7 35
12:25-1:00 Period 8 35
1:05-3:00 PLC / Student lunch distribution 115

 

  • To view the full Return to School Plan, go to www.dupage88.net/2020-21Plan. Please note this is a working document, and information will be updated as necessary to reflect best practices and current guidelines.

UPCOMING PARENT MEETING

  • On Aug. 11, we will host a Parent Transition/Reopening Committee meeting. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m., and we will continue our discussions on planning for the 2020-21 school year. If you would like to attend, please contact me at shelton@dupage88.net or 630-530-3980.

REGISTRATION AND RESIDENCY VERIFICATION

  • Registration for the 2020-21 school year is open. We are excited to provide a full online registration process for our families. See details at www.dupage88.net/Registration2020-21.

  • We will maintain residency verification to ensure we maximize our resources for families who reside within District 88 boundaries. Residency verification must be completed for all incoming freshmen, new students and transfer students before registering for the 2020-21 school year. To see the residency verification form in various languages, go to www.dupage88.net/residency.

FOOD SERVICE FOR 2020-21

Who is eligible for the food service?

  • Food will be available each Wednesday (starting on Aug. 26) to students who are enrolled at District 88.

  • Students must qualify to receive free or reduced-price meals. CLICK HERE to see costs for reduced-price meals, as well as available menu items.

  • Students who don’t qualify to receive free or reduced-price meals are eligible to buy food items. Cashless purchases are preferred. CLICK HERE to see full pay costs, as well as available menu items.

  • All students must present a valid District 88 ID.

When will food be distributed?

  • Food will be provided from 1 to 3 p.m. each Wednesday, starting on Aug. 26.

  • Five days’ worth of meals will be distributed (five breakfasts and five lunches).

Where will food be distributed?

  • Addison Trail High School, 213 N. Lombard Road in Addison – Door 5

  • Willowbrook High School, 1250 S. Ardmore Ave. in Villa Park – Door 6

Who can I contact with questions?

Summer Food-Service Program

  • PLEASE NOTE: Aug. 18 will be the final day for the Summer Food-Service Program (CLICK HERE to see details). On Aug. 26, District 88 will transition to the program mentioned above.

ATHLETICS
On July 29, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) released a modified schedule for the 2020-21 school year. See the IHSA’s intended plans at https://tinyurl.com/IHSAJuly29. The plan has been sent to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) for final approval.

DISTRICT 88 BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING

OTHER AREAS OF FOCUS

  • District 88 will continue to support the social and emotional well-being of students, staff, families and community members. See a list of available resources (including resources in Spanish) at www.dupage88.net/Coronavirus.

  • We have been committed to creating and sustaining an equitable and inclusive environment for all students through Deep Equity and Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Youth Equity Stewardship (YES!) series for more than half a decade, and we have put in place many programs to support these initiatives. We know equity is a journey and won’t be reached quickly or easily. However, we need to be relentless in our pursuit of equity, inclusion and the elimination of racism in District 88 and our communities. Read more about our efforts at https://www.dupage88.net/site/page/11685. We are continuing our work with Deep Equity, Youth Equity Stewardship, Trauma-Informed Practices and Restorative Practices, and we also have implemented the District 88 C.A.R.E. Team (Committed to Academics, Resiliency and Equity) for students and staff to expand and deepen our work in these areas.

  • Updates from the Illinois State Board of Education: https://www.isbe.net/Pages/covid19.aspx and https://tinyurl.com/ISBEMessages 

Thank you for your continued support of District 88.

Respectfully,
Scott J. Helton, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools, DuPage High School District 88