McHenry High School District 156
July 16, 2021
An important update message from Dr. McTague
Dear Warrior Family,
I hope this message finds you well as we prepare for the opening of school in August. Updated return to school guidance was issued by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the CDC, and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) last week. We have been working with the McHenry County Department of Health, our legal counsel, state officials, our teachers, and the administrative team to analyze the guidance and develop our MCDH Return to School Plan. Although we are still waiting for more detailed guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education and IDPH, we do have enough information to update our school community and provide a general overview of the plan.
On Friday, July 9, the ISBE State Superintendent Carmen Ayala made the following declaration: "Beginning with the 2021-22 school year, all schools must resume fully in-person learning for all student attendance days,” with the narrow exception, “provided that, remote instruction be made available for students who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine or who are not eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, only while they are under quarantine consistent with guidance or requirements from a local public health department or the Illinois Department of Public Health." Therefore, District 156 will provide full in-person instruction for all students when we open school this fall.
The state superintendent also stressed the CDC and IDPH guidance “recognizes the fundamental importance of in-person learning for the well-being of students, families, and communities.” She went on to declare that school districts must “prioritize full-time access to in-person learning for all students, while layering the public health requirements to the best of our ability;” however, mitigation efforts should not be a “barrier” to full-time access to in-person instruction.
MCHS District 156 will continue to balance the importance of in-person instruction and our students’ connection with our schools, their teachers, and each other with our responsibility to ensure we comply with all IDPH guidance. The CDC also emphasized in their updated school guidance “the need for localities to monitor community transmission, vaccination coverage, screening testing, and occurrence of outbreaks to guide decisions on the level of layered prevention strategies.” We will continue to work closely with the McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) to monitor our local community transmission level and positivity rates throughout the year. If we begin to experience an escalation that extends outside of the CDC or MCDH current threshold, or an outbreak occurs in our buildings or community, we may have to adjust our mitigation efforts and strategies in response.
Based on the updated guidance from the IDPH and public health officials that has indicated that school districts have the flexibility to adjust or change some mitigation strategies based on local conditions, we will respond to any changes to public health guidance or requirements accordingly. With that said, here is a summary of our reopening measures:
Vaccinated students will not be required to wear a mask indoors or quarantine if identified as a close contact with a COVID positive individual.
It is recommended that unvaccinated students wear a mask while indoors. However, masks will not be required. Unvaccinated students who are identified as a close contact will be required to quarantine per public health requirements.
All students, regardless of their vaccination status, must wear a mask on the bus or district transportation. This is a requirement from the state.
Classroom and common area seating will be spaced (3 feet) to the greatest extent possible and students should continue to maintain social distance in the hallways and common areas of the buildings.
Classrooms and common areas will be cleaned and sanitized each evening. Hand sanitizer will be located in every classroom, hallways, and common areas.
In presenting new school guidance for the fall, the CDC, IDPH and ISBE all note the importance of vaccination to return to normalcy in our schools. To learn more about vaccination and find a local site, visit the McHenry County Department of Health’s website. Vaccines are also available at many local pharmacies, often without an appointment.
We will send out a comprehensive district MCHS Return to School Plan and layered mitigation strategies that will explain reopening guidance and protocols in greater detail. MCHS Principal, Dr. Prickett, will also send a building specific return to school plan for both campuses. Thank you for your understanding as we continue to process the updated guidance from the state and work with our staff members and public health officials to ensure we are in compliance with all public health guidance and requirements while safely bringing our students back for full in-person instruction when we return to school in August.
We Are Warriors and We are One!
Take Good Care,
Ryan McTague, Ph.D.
Superintendent
Summertime learning
Freshman Campus construction update
That is on top of yearly cleaning, sanitizing and painting. We're getting the building ready to welcome the Class of 2025!
Upper Campus construction update
This summer, workers have created new art rooms, new music rooms, office areas and a new career center. Parking lots around the former West Campus are also newly paved.
Past projects include new lighting and mechanicals, pool improvements, a new student parking lot and new tennis courts. We hope the MCHS 10th- through 12th-graders enjoy the improvements!