Updated: COVID-19 Health Guidance

Dear District 65 Community -

I am hopeful that the start of school has gone smoothly for your child and family! With our students and staff back, we are seeing an expected increase in illness within our communities. This includes both respiratory illness and COVID-19. 

Our goal is to keep our schools healthy and “everyday operations” in place. Per public health guidance, we will treat COVID-19 as we do other communicable diseases. We are grateful for continued partnership with our local pediatricians and Evanston and Skokie health departments. We will monitor health trends and make adjustments as needed.

In the spirit of communication and helping to ensure we’re all on the same page, below are several notes as to what you can expect in the coming year:

• We will continue to encourage students and staff to remain home when sick or showing signs of illness. It's critical that we reduce the spread of illness to others.
• Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 are required to quarantine for five days (from the date of the positive test or onset of symptoms), and can return days 6-10 with a mask as long as they have had no vomiting and/or diarrhea or fever for a full 24 hours without the use of medications.
• Classroom letters will be sent for single confirmed COVID-19 cases as well as for outbreaks (defined as 5 or more [or 20% of population] connected cases).
  • In the event of a classroom outbreak, masks will be recommended indoors within that classroom.
• There will be no Remote Learning Classrooms this year. Students will be allowed to make up missing work without penalty.
• We strongly encourage practicing good hygiene habits and keeping up-to-date with all necessary vaccinations, including COVID-19 and influenza.

Additional information, including other preventive strategies, can be found on our Health Services webpages. Thank you for your continued partnership and for helping us keep our schools healthy!

Dr. Angel Turner (she/her)

Interim Superintendent