Superintendent Update Aug. 27, 2021

Greetings USD116 Family and Friends,

In response to increased COVID-19 positive cases and hospitalizations, on Thursday, August 26, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced a mandatory vaccine requirement for all teachers and staff working in PreK through 12. Beginning September 5, 2021, anyone who is unable or unwilling to get vaccinated will be required to test at least once a week. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) will be authorized to increase the testing requirements based on area conditions and positive transmission rates. In the coming days, ISBE will issue emergency rules to support the executive order’s implementation, and ISBE and IDPH will update their guidance to align with this new requirement.

In an effort to detect cases early and prevent further spread, USD116 has already met this new state requirement and surpassed it because our unvaccinated staff are required to test twice a week. We have made testing a priority and accessible for our staff. We offer both before and after-school testing options multiple days a week, as well as on-site testing for staff where surveillance testing is offered at their school. We have also prioritized testing for students as well. COVID testing is underway at our 3 pilot elementary schools and our middle and high schools. We have intensified our efforts to locate and hire more testing professionals so that we can expand our surveillance testing to our other school buildings. For now, I urge our families at UECS, King, Thomas Paine, and Wiley, to take advantage of the after-school drive-thru testing at Yankee Ridge. Families are also able to view the COVID-19 data dashboard LINKED HERE for the impact of positive transmissions within our school community.

The Governor also announced an indoor mask mandate throughout the state, regardless of vaccination status, effective August 30, 2021. As you know, all students, staff, and visitors are already required to wear masks indoors in all USD116 schools and buildings.

The District is proud of our staff and their diligence in maintaining our health and wellness. We have students attending in person, and we want to keep them in person with minimal disruptions to student learning to the greatest extent possible. Our current vaccination rates for those who have shared their vaccination status is 87% for all district-wide staff and 90% for all certified staff. This is well above the 60-70% vaccination average for other areas in Champaign County. We are also happy to report that COVID testing has significantly increased this week. Our staff are getting their biweekly testing done!

For any unvaccinated student 12 and older, parent, or staff member who would like to get vaccinated, there will be a Pfizer vaccine clinic on September 8th, 4-6 p.m at UMS. Pfizer was recently granted full FDA approval for those 16 and older.

I want to personally thank each of you and every member of your family who has either gotten the vaccine, who wears masks indoors at all times, and those who test regularly. Masking and vaccination make a difference, and by working together as a school community, we can reduce the spread of COVID-19 and the Delta variant. We appreciate everyone for doing their part to keep our students, staff, and school community safe!

Be safe and stay well,

Dr. Ivory-Tatum