Dear Butler D53 Families and Staff,
The District has adopted a weekly cadence of messages to communicate with parents and staff as it relates to updates, information, and particularly the start of the new school year. The safety of our students, families, and staff is the utmost priority.
We recently received additional guidance from the DuPage County Department of Public Health, which is being reviewed and assessed. Our administration/transition team continues to meet and compile different avenues so that continuity of learning will take place within the parameters of agency guidance. We have walked through both buildings to look at necessary physical changes or modifications, consistent with state and county guidance, to ensure physical distancing, identifying needs for sanitizing stations, working with our foodservice and transportation providers, as well as countless other considerations for our school district. As the public health pandemic continues to change on a daily basis, the logistical expectations change and our school district will comply with further guidelines from our public health leaders.
As I have previously mentioned, we think it is important to communicate accurately, rather than rush, and have to alter previously communicated plans.
Therefore, we are committed to our previously communicated plan to share a detailed outline by late July. I encourage you to attend the July 13th Board of Education meeting where the board committees will report out on the progress that has been made as it relates to starting the 2020-21 school year. I invite you to review a detailed presentation most recently presented at the Infrastructure and Education Committee meetings, as it relates to state and health directives in Phase 4, and D53 implementation to these guidelines.
At this exact time, it is not concrete, but our goal is to try to align with the guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education, where they “strongly recommend” in-person instruction. The presentation outlines in-person, remote parallel, blended, and remote learning scenarios. No matter which scenario is our reality in the fall, feel confident that students will be safe and that they will continue to advance and learn. Please click here for the link to BoardDocs and the Butler D53 COVID 19 Response presentation.
If one thing remains certain, the school year will not look like any previous school year. We are reimagining what school looks like; we will need to reteach and relearn the concept of 'school'; we will rely on a collaborative effort among parents, teachers, staff, and children.
We thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate these most unique challenges, develop further plans and contingency plans, and prepare for the start of a new academic year for our district.
Stay well, be safe-
Dr. Paul O’Malley
Superintendent of Schools
Butler D53 - Beyond All Limits