Lake County Gazette

Fremont School District 79 issued the following announcement on July 20.

FSD79 Return to School Plan

We miss our students and staff. We long for a return to normalcy. We know that, above all, we must keep our students, staff, and school community safe.

As we prepare for the upcoming academic year, we have been charged with an unprecedented task that parallels nothing we have seen before in education, or hopefully will ever see again. Throughout the development of our FSD79 Return to School Plan, the number one priority has been to maintain a safe environment for our school community.

This Return to School Plan is not perfect. This plan likely will need to be updated as we continue to learn more. This plan will be welcomed by some families and will not be embraced by others. We do hope that all families understand that this plan was developed with great care, compassion, and with a priority on keeping the students and adults in our school community safe. We all are doing the best we can during these extraordinary times.

Fremont School District 79 will begin the 2020-2021 academic year by implementing a hybrid instruction model. This model was built with a focus on pursuing in-person instruction to the greatest extent possible, while also integrating the safety guidelines provided by the State. Families who are not comfortable with the hybrid instruction model will have the option for their child(ren) to instead participate in daily eLearning at home. All families will be asked to register their child(ren) for either hybrid instruction or eLearning instruction when the student intake survey is released on Tuesday, July 21.

The decision to integrate the hybrid instruction model was made after studying joint guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), analyzing responses from our parent survey, incorporating feedback from our staff Return to School Committee, and studying the latest research and literature on this topic.

The 2020-2021 academic year will not be business as usual. Some of the biggest changes we will see upon our return are the following: 

• Face masks will be required for all individuals in the school buildings, at all times;
• Social distancing of 6 feet will be required;
• Students will participate in a combination of in-person and eLearning instruction;
• Families will have the option for their child(ren) to participate in full-time eLearning;
• A greater emphasis will be placed on synchronous instruction;
• Students and staff will be required to stay home if they are sick; and
• Temperature, symptom, and exposure screening will take place prior to anyone entering the buildings each day.

Ultimately, the FSD79 Return to School Plan consists of three possible scenarios: hybrid instruction, eLearning instruction, and in-person instruction. It is important to note that the District could transition back and forth between scenarios if there is a resurgence of the virus or a second wave. This plan is subject to ongoing change based on emerging information and guidance from our state and federal organizations.

Families may be wondering why all students are not returning to full in-person instruction. FSD79 would embrace the return of all students, but it is not possible in our current environment. ISBE has encouraged school districts to provide completely in-person instruction for all students, provided that the school district is able to comply with capacity limits and implement social distancing measures. Our District simply would be unable to adhere to the ISBE/IDPH guidelines if we implemented full in-person instruction, including adherence to safety protocols related to: six-foot social distancing, transportation logistics, screening all individuals when entering buildings, providing meals to small groups, promoting safe hallways and communal spaces, and much more. In the event schools and districts cannot implement full in-person instruction, ISBE provides school districts the option of utilizing a hybrid instruction model of in-person and remote/eLearning instruction.

The following is a timeline of events that will lead us up to the start of the 2020-2021 academic year. These events are designed in an effort to inform, communicate, prepare, and implement the FSD79 Return to School Plan. These events include: 

• Tuesday, July 21 - Student Intake/Needs Assessment Survey sent to families.
• Monday, July 27 - Return to School FAQ will be released.
• Virtual Parent Informational Meetings (6:30 p.m. for all):
  • Monday, August 3 - Lincoln Early Learning Center;
  • Tuesday, August 4 - Fremont Elementary School;
  • Wednesday, August 5 - Fremont Intermediate School; and
  • Thursday, August 6 - Fremont Middle School.
• Monday, August 10  - Class schedules will be released (tentative).

We understand that a variety of different plans are being developed by school districts across Chicagoland and the State and that they all look different, focusing on each district’s unique needs, capacities, and resources. FSD79 is unwavering in the promotion of a safe learning environment in all of our schools.

The entire Return to School Plan, as well as the Quick Guide can be accessed by clicking here.  After thoroughly reading the Return to School Plan, we encourage parents and guardians who have unanswered questions to please fill out this form, which will be directed to the appropriate school administrator.

Original source can be found here.