District 80 Covid Information Center archived 8-22-23

February 20, 2022

Dear Norridge District 80 Parents and Guardians:

On Friday, February 18, 2022, the Illinois Appellate Court issued a ruling in the appeal of a Sangamon County Circuit Court ruling. As a result, we will be implementing the following revised Covid-19 mitigation strategies on Tuesday, February 22, 2022. The Board will be asked to approve these revised mitigation strategies at their regular March 15, 2022, meeting.

1. District 80 will continue the Mask Optional mitigation strategy.

2. In the case of a Positive Covid-19 diagnosis, we will follow the recommended CDC guidance. This means:

            A. The affected student/employee must stay home for a minimum of five days after the first day of                     symptoms or the specimen collection date from positive viral test for asymptomatic persons.

            B. Individuals may return to school after five days if asymptomatic or if fever-free without fever                           reducing medication for 24 hours, diarrhea/vomiting have ceased for 24 hours, and other                                  symptoms have improved, and any coughing has significantly subsided.

            C. When returning to school after 5 calendar days, the individual is encouraged to wear a mask at                       all times and, to the extent possible, maintain 6 feet apart from anyone when eating/mask is off.

3. Asymptomatic siblings of a positive case may continue to come to school. 

4. A student or employee can be sent home from school if he/she is exhibiting COVID-19 like symptoms. In accordance with CDC procedures, the student/employee will be permitted to return to school as follows:

              A. Provide the school a negative COVID-19 test result which will confirm the symptoms are not                             attributable to COVID-19; OR

              B. Student/employee provides a note from his/her treating physician confirming the symptoms                           are related to an alternative diagnosis and not COVID-19 and stating the student/employee is                         cleared to return to school; OR

              C. Student/employee may return to school after having been fever-free without fever-reducing                           medication for 24 hours, diarrhea/vomiting have ceased for 24 hours and other symptoms have                     improved, and any coughing has significantly subsided.

5. Weekly testing of unvaccinated staff is discontinued.

6. Masks are options on buses for school or athletic events.  

7. Masks are optional for the Leyden Norwood Athletic Conference when participating in athletic or extracurricular activities for all.  

8. We are suspending quarantining of students and staff for out of state travel to high risk states.

9. We will continue to track the vaccination status of District 80 Employees.

10. All mitigations are subject to change based on our local metrics, directives from CCDPH or IDPH or further state or court guidance.

11.  We will discontinue live streaming for Covid positive students but will send work home for those students. Parents should contact the appropriate office to arrange for work pickup.

I have said all along that my goal is to have our students and staff return home at the end of each day safe and healthy. I will continue to pursue those goals as we continue to move forward during this pandemic. We will continue to modify our protocols as the situation regarding the pandemic requires or allow us to do so.  

Respectfully,

Ralph Grimm

Interim Superintendent