October 22nd, 2020
A Message from Your Superintendent
As you know, we are busy preparing to bring students back to the buildings for hybrid learning. There are some important deadlines coming up, which I will detail below. But I first want to communicate that we are closely watching COVID-19 cases, and we are concerned about some of the trends. Just yesterday, Gov. Pritzker said the state is moving in the wrong direction, as officials reported on the recent surge in cases, deaths, and hospitalizations throughout the state, including in the suburbs. As a result, we know some area districts are preparing for a possible pause in their return-to-school plans. These developments are unfortunate, but we must pay attention to them and make sure we’re keeping student and staff safety top of mind at all times.
We will continue to monitor direction from the state and county. As you know, Illinois must stay in Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan in order for schools to have in-person learning. In addition, the COVID-19 metrics our District is using must be within an acceptable range. Those metrics are currently on target, and we will provide an update on Monday. You can learn more about our metrics in the last week’s Board presentation, at
this link.
I want to be clear that it is still our goal and desire to bring students back according to the plan we’ve developed, and we continue to move forward with making that happen. But I think it’s important to communicate along the way, so we are all prepared for anything that could arise – just as we’ve done throughout the twists and turns of this journey since March. I also encourage you to discuss the situation with your children, to help them be flexible and adapt. They’ve already done an extraordinary job of this, and I have faith in their resilient nature.
As a reminder, here’s our current timeline:
- Today, Oct. 22: Lincoln student enrollment form distributed via email
- Monday, Oct. 26: Elementary hybrid assignments announced, update on District metrics
- Thursday, Oct. 29: Deadline to return Lincoln enrollment forms
- Monday, Nov. 2: District will confirm metrics for elementary hybrid learning start
- Monday, Nov. 9: Elementary hybrid begins for students who have selected it
- Monday, Nov. 16: Lincoln hybrid assignments announced
- Friday, Nov. 20: District will confirm metrics for Lincoln hybrid learning start
- Monday, Nov. 30: Lincoln hybrid phase one begins
- Monday, Jan. 4: Lincoln hybrid phase two begins
I stress that we continue to work hard on our planning and preparations because we want to be well-positioned and ready no matter what the future brings. We will keep you updated. You can also find recent messages, plans, presentations, and School Board meetings on the
COVID-19 page of the District website. Please continue to stay safe – wear a mask, enforce social distancing, wash hands, avoid large gatherings and stay home if you’re not feeling well – so we can get this surge under control and ensure our return-to-school plans can move forward!
Dr. Elaine Aumiller
Superintendent of Schools