District Response to ISBE & IDPH Phase 3 Guidance
June 05, 2020
What a year the 2019-20 school year was! Now that we have finally made it to the end, we would like to take a moment to thank the students, staff, parents, and community members who helped us succeed in the period of remote learning and to end the school year as best we could. We did not get to this point without a few bumps in the road, frustrations, and tears--but we did it! We are proud of each and every one of our students, staff members, parents, and community members.
We are now at a time where we can all take a moment to collectively catch our breath before we consider what school will look like in the fall and how we can, hopefully, restore in-person learning for our students. This in itself will be a daunting task. We must consider how to make a meaningful and quality learning experience for our students, while at the same time providing for their health and safety.
On Thursday, June 4, 2020, Governor Pritzker issued an executive order that would allow schools to reopen for limited activities. The Illinois State Board of Education and Illinois Department of Health followed suit with guidance on the reopening of schools in Phase 3 or Restore Illinois (Previously, schools were not able to open until Phase 4 of Restore Illinois). Reading through this guidance may have been an overwhelming experience for many; however, the guidance did provide a glimmer of hope for the possibility of a somewhat normal classroom experience in the fall.
With this in mind, we want you to know that we have been and will continue working on a reopening plan for Pleasant Hill CUSD #3 that provides a quality learning experience for our students while also providing for their health and safety. Please remember the current guidance provides information on what that would look like in Phase 3. Illinois is expected to reach Phase 4 of Restore Illinois at the end of June, and reopening a school could look very different in Phase 4; therefore we are waiting on Phase 4 guidance before releasing our finalized plan for the reopening of our Pleasant Hill schools.
This plan wil take hours of research, scenario-modeling, and work from our dedicated staff, and we are committed to standing up for a working, in-person learning model, not only for academic reasons, but also for social-emotional and economic reasons. We cannot ignore, though, the threat of this virus remains and we must take all prudent steps to keep our schools from becoming vectors by which COVID-19 spreads in our community.
Once again, we recognize that the guidelines released yesterday can cause anxiety and fear. It is alright to grieve the education system we are so familiar with and to be temporarily overwhelmed by the magnitude and complexity of what we are collectively facing. Some concepts may be polarizing, and there may be strong feelings about the path ahead; however, we must remain open to the possibilities and consider all options moving forward. The decisions ahead will be made with the well-being of our students, staff, and community at the forefront of our minds, and we will put forth our very best thinking, because the love we have for our community and our students drives us to do so.
