In-person learning starting second semester at Glenbrook North, South
Even in the remote setting of Monday's board meeting it sounded like Glenbrook High Schools District 225 Superintendent Charles Johns could barely contain himself.
"I have some really good news to share," he began.
Johns elaborated the "massive, massive undertaking" staff made to determine how Glenbrook North and Glenbrook South students might squeeze into all the classes and classrooms in their respective buildings under social distancing to start the second semester on Jan. 19.
This, in accordance to a survey sent last week to district families asking if they preferred full in-person or remote learning.
The response came back that 749 students at Glenbrook North, or 37.1% of enrollment, and 1,113 Glenbrook South students, 35.5%, chose full in-person learning.
The numbers meshed with the space.
"When they compared the number of students for in-person learning to the maximum social distancing capacity for each room, they came to the conclusion that, for the students that have signed up for in-person learning, all of them will be able to attend for the full day, every day," Johns said.
"The numbers of people who chose in-person learning were such that it matched what our capacity is with a little bit of shoehorn work, and we're very fortunate, very excited to be able to do that. That's quite a tall order."
Seniors at both schools were least likely to have answered the survey and, like others who didn't respond, were assumed to have opted for remote learning. Freshmen at each school were more likely to favor a return to full in-person learning.
A similar survey will be performed later this spring for classes from March 29-June 3.
Those returning to school will also be more likely to be in a classroom with a teacher. Without the child care accommodation available to teachers for the first semester, and with more stringent criteria to apply for family medical and personal medical accommodations due to COVID-19, the percentage of total staff receiving accommodations to teach from home dipped to 26% for the second semester from 44% in the first.
And another thing: Students opting for in-person learning, as well as those participating in activities and athletics - when that is cleared by Gov. J.B. Pritzker - will be expected to provide mandatory, self-administered RT Lamp saliva test samples each Wednesday, though there may be flexibility for twice-weekly tests should that necessity arise.
"I'm not aware of any other school district doing testing more than once a week at all," said R.J. Gravel, the district's assistant superintendent for business services.
Should a student miss a test day they would not initially be allowed to attend school or participate in activities or athletics, the board confirmed in a 7-0 vote for a mandatory procedure.
Staff will undergo voluntary weekly testing with a BinaxNOW rapid antigen, noninvasive swab test.
In a pilot saliva-testing program of 93 district athletes and 22 coaches and administrators, conducted twice weekly over seven dates from Dec. 4-29, there were three tests of "clinical significance," with at least two of them found to be COVID-positive after more rigorous testing, Gravel said.
The 2.6% rate is decent news. News about getting back in school, though, is "very exciting," Johns said.
"Quite honestly, it's astounding that we're at this point, that those who want in-person can have in-person," he said.
"And, again, I'm very grateful for just the mountain of work that people did in a very precious, little amount of time. It's usually work that takes months, so to do it in a matter of days is amazing."
Yet the meeting began under a somber tone as numerous public comments, several by students, noted last week's passing of Glenbrook North senior Dylan Buckner. Callers cited a need for additional mental health resources.
"This is a time of great grief, but it's also some time of learning for all of us," said board President Bruce Doughty.