Important message from District 88 Superintendent Dr. Scott Helton

Pictured is District 88 Superintendent Dr. Scott Helton.

Dealing with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic isn’t easy. We are all doing our best to overcome hardships we’ve never faced before and with which we never thought we would be confronted.

We know Remote Learning is challenging, and we know it isn’t ideal. But I want to reiterate that this is a health crisis, and we must make decisions based on what’s best for our students, staff, families and community members to keep them safe.

It is our responsibility to protect the health and well-being of our pupils, as well as the peers, staff members, parents/guardians and grandparents with whom they interact. To help accomplish this, we are following data and guidance presented by medical experts. The most recent DuPage County COVID-19 School Metrics do not support transitioning to a hybrid or in-person environment at this time. For the week of Aug. 30 to Sept. 5:

  • The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) moved DuPage County from a “minimal” county-level risk to a “moderate” county-level risk.

  • In the category of New Cases per 100,000 per Week, DuPage County increased from 75 per 100,000 to 89 per 100,000.

  • In the category of Weekly Case Count Trend, DuPage County increased by 15.6 percent.

  • In the category of Weekly Youth Case Count Trend (younger than 20 years old), DuPage County increased by 43.5 percent.

  • DuPage County also increased in the Neighboring/Regional Indicator Level.

* CLICK HERE for more information.

These numbers and trends are concerning, which is why maintaining Remote Learning is the best course of action at this time. I know it’s difficult. I’m the father of three children – one of whom might miss out on his senior year of wrestling at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. I also was a teacher and coached football, wrestling and track, and I understand this is extremely upsetting and not what any of us want. But I assure you we will continue to connect with and care for students and provide a robust curriculum. I also assure you we are prepared to move to a hybrid/in-person environment when the data and guidance support that decision. We want your children back in our buildings – but more importantly, we want them safe and healthy.

We hear your concerns, and we see your frustrations. I would like to remind you we have been meeting monthly with parents/guardians through our Transition/Reopening Committee since June 30, and we will meet throughout the school year to work together to overcome this adverse situation. The next meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 13, and I invite all parents/guardians to join this group. Those who are interested in attending can contact me at shelton@dupage88.net or 630-530-3980.

We also are meeting monthly with students through our Return to School Student Advisory Committee to share information and hear their feedback. The first meeting took place on Aug. 19, and the next meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 22. Pupils who would like to join the committee can contact District 88 Director of Community Relations Dani Brink at dbrink@dupage88.net or 630-530-3989.

We have been offering and will continue to provide opportunities for students to receive onsite academic assistance through our learning centers on an as-needed basis. If your child needs extra support, contact Addison Trail Principal Michael Bolden (mbolden@dupage88.net, 630-628-3302) or Willowbrook Principal Dr. Daniel Krause (dkrause@dupage88.net, 630-530-3439). We continue to be fully compliant with federal and state learning requirements.

I also invite you to review our Return to School Plan at www.dupage88.net/ReturnToSchoolPlan. This webpage includes a frequently asked questions (FAQs) document, the three-stage structure of our plan, details about the schedule, special education information, student behavior expectations, food/meal service, the school calendar, COVID-19 resources and more. This plan has been shared publicly since it was approved during a Special Board of Education meeting on July 27. The Board approved the current plan through Oct. 5, at which time we will review the plan and the most current data to decide whether we’re able to transition to the next stage.

For the most up-to-date information, I encourage you to:

SEEKING FEEDBACK FROM PARENTS/GUARDIANS AND STUDENTS
To ensure we continue to support students and provide a high-quality learning environment, we’re asking parents/guardians and students to complete a brief survey. Your feedback is critical to provide us with input on topics such as Remote Learning, transitioning to the next stages of our Return to School Plan, technology and more. We need your comments to assist us in planning and improving, so please be sure to submit your responses.

IMPORTANT UPDATES

  • District 88 2020-21 Return to School Plan: As I mentioned above, this webpage (www.dupage88.net/ReturnToSchoolPlan) includes a frequently asked questions (FAQs) document, the three-stage structure of our plan, details about the schedule, special education information, student behavior expectations, food/meal service, the school calendar, COVID-19 resources and more.

  • Food service: From 1 to 3 p.m. each Wednesday, we will provide five days’ worth of free meals to all residents up to the age of 18. See details at https://www.dupage88.net/site/page/11979.

  • Assessments: To ensure our pupils have access to a college entrance exam, we will provide District 88 seniors with a free SAT (and essay) on Oct. 14. This assessment is optional, however, taking the SAT is currently a graduation requirement for members of the class of 2021. Students who plan to graduate in December are strongly encouraged to register for this exam. Details are listed below.

    • CLICK HERE to register for the SAT at Addison Trail (sign up by 3 p.m. on Sept. 28)
    • CLICK HERE to see a letter from Addison Trail with important details

    • CLICK HERE to register for the SAT at Willowbrook (sign up by 3 p.m. on Sept. 28)
    • CLICK HERE to see a letter from Willowbrook with important details

  • Internet Essentials Partnership Program: The DuPage County Board, in partnership with the DuPage Regional Office of Education, recently approved a $1.5 million commitment to provide low-income students with internet service through the Internet Essentials Partnership Program. See details at https://www.dupage88.net/site/page/12111.

  • Athletics:
    • We are continuing our fall season with Girls Tennis, Girls Swimming, Boys and Girls Golf and Boys and Girls Cross Country.

    • The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is allowing for a voluntary “Fall Contact Period,” which provides athletic teams that are not in season with 20 contact days through Oct. 31. Addison Trail will begin contact days with Baseball, Cheerleading, Football and Boys Soccer, and Willowbrook will begin contact days with Baseball, Boys Soccer, Football, Girls Soccer, Girls Volleyball, Poms and Softball.

    • We will continue to implement the procedures we have in place, which are based on 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 regarding social distancing, health and cleaning protocols. Per our procedures, athletes and coaches must conduct contact days outdoors, provide their own transportation, have temperature checks and symptom screenings before each practice and adhere to policies regarding social distancing and wearing masks.

    • For updates on athletics, go to https://il.8to18.com/aths or https://il.8to18.com/willowbrook. To view the IHSA’s intended plans for the 2020-21 school year, go to https://tinyurl.com/IHSAJuly29.

  • State funding for public education: The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is asking educators, parents, students and community organizations to give their input on state funding for public education. ISBE is accepting testimony in writing and at three virtual budget hearings in October. See more details at https://www.isbe.net/Lists/News/NewsDisplay.aspx?ID=1334. Individuals who wish to participate must submit their testimony in writing by completing the online form at www.isbe.net/budget. Individuals also are welcome to speak during one of three virtual budget hearings.

    • 4 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 7 (Registration deadline: 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 4)

    • 1 to 4 p.m. on Oct. 14 (Registration deadline: 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 11)

    • 1 to 4 p.m. on Oct. 16 (Registration deadline: 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 11)

GUIDANCE FROM STATE AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS

  • New learning standards: The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) recently released new Illinois Priority Learning Standards. According to State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala, “(ISBE) collaborated with a diverse and skilled team of educators from across the state to identify the Illinois Priority Learning Standards. The group focused on identifying learning standards that depict the knowledge, skills and dispositions we want all students to have – the standards that are the most foundational competencies, the most critical for success at subsequent grade levels and best suited for interdisciplinary or project-based learning.” CLICK HERE for more information.

  • Return to School Framework: On Aug. 28, the DuPage County Health Department released a “Return to School Framework” with the DuPage Regional Office of Education. As the number of local COVID-19 cases increases, the “Return to School Framework” recommends school officials review and consider the level of disease activity in their communities as they make decisions about shifting between learning models this school year. To view the document, go to www.dupagehealth.org/ReturnToSchool

    See an important message regarding safely reopening schools from DuPage Regional Office of Education Regional Superintendent Dr. Darlene Ruscitti and DuPage County Health Department Executive Director Karen Ayala at https://www.dupage88.net/site/public/files/?item=5431.

  • Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) FAQs: This health-based Frequently Asked Questions document from the IDPH addresses many health-related questions. See the information at https://www.isbe.net/Documents/IDPH-School-FAQs.pdf.

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

PARENT AND STUDENT MEETINGS

  • As I mentioned above, we will continue to meet with parents/guardians as part of our Transition/Reopening Committee. The next meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 13. If you would like to join the committee, or if you have any questions/concerns, please feel free to contact me at shelton@dupage88.net or 630-530-3980.

  • As I mentioned above, we will continue to meet with students as part of our Return to School Student Advisory Committee. The next meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 22. If you would like to join the committee, or if you have any questions/concerns, contact District 88 Director of Community Relations Dani Brink at dbrink@dupage88.net or 630-530-3989.

OTHER AREAS OF FOCUS

  • Resources: District 88 will continue to care for 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.

  • Equity work: 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 assist with 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. We are maintaining our work with Deep Equity, YES!, 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.

Thank you for your support of District 88 and our mission to work for the continuous improvement of student achievement.

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