Important message from District 88: Updated COVID-19 guidance for schools
Pictured is District 88 Superintendent Dr. Jean Barbanente.
Good afternoon.
On July 27, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended “universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.”
Based on this updated information, everyone – whether vaccinated or unvaccinated – will be required to wear a mask while indoors at District 88 facilities, starting on Monday, Aug. 2.
We know this is a challenging and unprecedented situation, and we appreciate your patience, partnership and support as we continue to follow guidance provided by the health experts and implement best practices to keep everyone as healthy and safe as possible.
Please note the CDC’s new universal masking recommendation for K-12 schools is no longer tied to the community transmission levels. However, we will continue to monitor these levels and will use the information below to guide our decisions regarding implementing other layered prevention strategies.
The DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) “strongly endorses the recently updated CDC masking guidance, which recommends everyone, including fully vaccinated individuals, wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas with substantial and high transmission.” As of July 28, DuPage County is in substantial community transmission.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) also fully adopted the updated guidance. Below is a quote from IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.
“While data continues to show the effectiveness of the three COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized in the U.S., including against the Delta variant, we are still seeing the virus rapidly spread among the unvaccinated. Cases and hospitalizations due to COVID-19 both continue to increase, overwhelmingly among the unvaccinated, but the risk is greater for everyone if we do not stop the ongoing spread of the virus and the Delta variant. We know masking can help prevent transmission of COVID-19 and its variants. Until more people are vaccinated, we join CDC in recommending everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear a mask indoors in areas of substantial and high transmissions, and in K-12 schools.”
U.S. President Joe Biden also discussed the new guidance during his July 29 press conference. To watch part of the conference, click on the video below.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said school districts should keep the new masking guidelines in mind when developing plans for the new school year. Below is a quote from Pritzker.
“Let me be clear with everybody that school districts are potentially going to be held liable if they don’t live up to the standard that is set by the CDC and by the state.”
As a reminder, District 88 is offering a Virtual Learning Academy to accommodate students who were successful in an online environment and wish to remain remote. The Virtual Learning Academy will provide synchronous instruction through Zoom, with the curriculum taught by District 88 teachers and supplemented by the online platform Edgenuity. For more information about the program, including how to apply, go to https://www.dupage88.net/site/page/13530.
We will continue to monitor and share the most up-to-date information, and we plan to release our revised procedures for the 2021-22 school year the week of Aug. 9. Should you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.
With District 88 Pride,
Jean Barbanente, Ed.D.
District 88 Superintendent