At their recent meeting, members of the Barrington School District 220 School board agreed with an administration recommendation to offer only a limited remote/virtual learning program next school year, a decision officials believe is in line with guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education.
The move by the board comes as officials say additional SD220 surveys show dwindling interest in what has been called a virtual/blended academy. In early May, 370 families had indicated a willingness to commit to have their children in an all-virtual program for the whole 2021-2022 school year. By the time of the May 18 school board meeting, that number had dropped to 301, officials said. Another survey seeking to understand family reasons for wanting the all-remote option drew only 200 responses and of those only 117 said their choices were based on COVID-19 concerns.
The Illinois State Board of Education adopted a resolution May 19 that calls for schools to resume in-person instruction full-time starting next school year, and states remote learning would be made available for students in certain circumstances, including not being eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Currently, the vaccine manufactured by Pfizer pharmaceutical company is the only one authorized for children, and only if they are at least 12 years old.
“A lot has changed since May 4,” said Matt Fuller, assistant superintendent of technology and innovation, referring both to state board guidance and declining family interest in the virtual option.
SD220 Superintendent Brian Harris confirmed the shift.
“We do not believe the virtual option is viable,” he said. “We just don’t have the enrollment.”
But Harris was clear that that the district would provide virtual instruction where necessary to meet state board guidance.
“We have to provide some type of instruction for those kids who, for whatever reason, can’t be in the building,” Harris said. “We’ll meet the (state) requirements as well as meet our kids’ expectations and their parents’.”
District officials expect to meet soon with families interested in the virtual option to outline course offerings and procedures, school leaders said. It is expected that the remote option will be available for families who choose it because of concerns over health issues for students under age 12 who are not eligible right not to be vaccinated, as well as for families with relatives at elevated risk for contracting the virus.
Costs for the scaled-back virtual program are estimated to be nearly $1 million, but board members were told that SD220 expects to receive about $8.4 million in federal pandemic relief funds over the next two school years. The district has spent about $1.3 million in pandemic relief funds so far, officials explained.
The subject of masks came up in several contexts during the Tuesday night board meeting – which was held in person. During the public comment portion of the meeting, Erin Shechtman, who identified herself as Hough Street Elementary School parent, cited data she said showed masks are not effective in preventing the spread of coronavirus particles. She said she was very concerned about what she sees as health risks to students forced to wear masks outside in hot weather during strenuous activities — including at the end-of-school-year field day that had been planned at Hough.
“I’m scared and I can’t sleep,” she said. “You’re deciding how much oxygen they can get.”
Shechtman called on board members and administrators to “move forward on making masks optional.”
Harris reminded board members that current public health requirements on mask wearing in and around schools hasn’t changed. He emphasized that building principals, teachers and others have made plans for adequate water breaks, breaks from mask wearing and monitoring of students to ensure safety.
But at the urging of new board member Steve Wang, board members agreed to make their own mask wearing optional – only for those who are fully vaccinated – and only at the June 1 board meeting, when school will not be in session and no students are expected to be present in the meeting space.
The June 1 meeting is scheduled to take place at the District Administrative Center, a move from the Barrington Middle School- Station campus where recent meetings have been held.
Graydon Megan is a freelancer.
