Flossmoor School District 161 mapped out and approved a COVID-19 response plan at a special April 2 board of education meeting.
As the district continues its period of remote learning, the plan establishes how the district’s operations will continue in light of limited face-to-face interaction due to the school shutdown.
School administrators unveiled the plan at the meeting conducted remotely due to the pandemic crisis.
The plan includes constant communication with district staff and families about COVID-19 updates, maintenance operations in facilities and how district business will be handled while social distancing is the norm for all community members.
Superintendent Dana Smith spoke on the unusual nature of remotely running a school system.
“The heart of the school system is its people: its students, its teachers and its parents. Because otherwise it’s just a group of buildings,” Smith said. “Then you think about all the things that have to happen remotely: paying the bills, making sure all the technology on the back end is still functioning at a high level, working with all the vendors, trying to educate 2,400 students. It’s certainly a challenge but one that we’re rising to.”
The district is looking to communicate daily with the state health department about updates and recommendations for best practices in order to share this information with school staff and family. The plan recommends that staff stay away from school as cleaning and disinfecting protocols are being developed.
Two to four social media posts will be shared a week to inform families of activities at the school level. District and school websites will be updated weekly with new information on e-learning, stay-at-home orders and safety information.
The operations and maintenance department will complete building checks every two days in the district’s facilities. When a return to school date is established, the department’s staff will clean and disinfect every facility two to three days prior.
Free lunch and breakfast distribution will continue every Monday and Wednesday at Parker Junior High.
Much of the school-related business will be conducted remotely: payroll, paying bills and hiring will all be happening from home.
The technology department will be in daily communication with teachers and staff, providing ongoing support and troubleshooting remotely. The department also plans on having tech staff available Mondays and Wednesdays to distribute devices to students in grades K-2.
The special education department is focusing on supporting each student based on their individual needs while continuing all the reports and documentation required by the state.
The learning and instruction department is developing plans for transitioning to long-term student learning, grading and family student support.