Glenbrook high schools aim to phase-in hybrid schedule starting Oct. 5

Remaining mindful of the health metrics, the Glenbrook High Schools District 225 board on Monday determined it will enter a hybrid learning schedule in October.

Aligning with the district's 2020-21 Learning and Operations Plan and possibly moving to Step 3 - a morning/afternoon hybrid learning schedule - by Oct. 5, the board will actually move more cautiously than that.

At a special school board meeting Monday night, officials looked at plans provided by North Principal Jason Markey and South Principal Dr. Lauren Fagel that, beginning Oct. 5, would phase-in hybrid learning.

Fagel's proposal is a two-week process in which each grade level, divided by half for morning and afternoon sessions, would be the only grade in the building for two days a week. That grade would then return to remote learning while the other three grades each had their turn in school. Fagel's plan would reintroduce full hybrid learning to all students on Oct. 20.

Markey's plan would condense the schedule to four days by combining two classes - freshmen and seniors, sophomores and juniors, for example - into the morning and afternoon cohorts. His plan would provide for a full hybrid plan by Oct. 13.

The board favored Dr. Fagel's more measured approach, and noted that if parents are concerned about student safety they can choose to keep their children at home to continue studying remotely.

"We are excited to welcome back our entire student population and have been working each day since the start of the pandemic to plan for this opportunity to reunite on our campuses," Superintendent Dr. Charles Johns said.

"There are still many challenges we can expect to encounter," he said. "However, we believe that beginning the year remotely provided a strong foundation to move into hybrid learning."

Starting the school year Aug. 19 with an entirely remote plan, Glenbrook high schools moved as planned on Sept. 8 to their Step 2, e-learning with gradual return of groups to school buildings. Those students were identified as needing English language help and extra support with things such as attendance and social and emotional well-being.

Of the total 195 Glenbrook North and Glenbrook South students invited to participate in Step 2, 92 chose to participate, according to the district's Sept. 14 update.

"Step 3 has always been a part of our plan," board President Bruce Doughty said.

The full Step 3 hybrid plan has students in class on-site 50% of the time and continue with e-learning 50% of the time. Students attend in the morning or afternoon, as determined by alphabetic group assignment.

In reaching Monday's decision, the board considered operational aspects such as staffing, social distancing in classrooms, and the stock of personal protective equipment ("multiple months worth," it was stated).

Board members also discussed COVID-19 data criteria from four areas in and around the Glenbrook schools: Cook County's Region 10; northern Cook County; Glenview, Northbrook and border ZIP codes; and Glenview and Northbrook ZIP codes alone.

Health metrics included test positivity rates, average weekly cases per 100,000 people, increased number of cases and increased youth cases, both done over a 7-day average.

Future Advisory Committee Meetings to discuss potential step movement are scheduled for Oct. 5 and Oct. 19. Before Monday's meeting, the Advisory Committee had met until 5:45 p.m., and according to Doughty "did not reach unanimity."

District 225 will email information about the implementation of hybrid learning to students and parents in the coming week.