McHenry County Department of Health recommends schools consider return to remote learning

A “rapid increase” in COVID-19 cases, indicates spread within the community is “substantial,” the McHenry County Department of Health said Thursday in announcing that school districts should consider a return to remote learning.

Already, two area school districts – Woodstock School District 200 and Cary School District 26 – announced they will heed the guidance.

District 200 Superintendent Mike Moan said in a statement Thursday that the district would once again postpone its switch to a hybrid learning model, pushing off the move for at least the next two weeks and telling parents it would update them again in a week. District 26 announced it will transition to a fully remote learning model next week.

The McHenry County health department, with local school superintendents, created metrics to help districts decide when to move between remote, hybrid and fully in-person learning models. The metrics include the COVID-19 incidence rate, the county’s test positivity rate, whether hospital admissions tied to COVID-19 are increasing and whether the number of new cases are increasing.

The county’s guidance plan says schools should be in the previous learning model for at least 14 days before moving to the next one.

As of Thursday, three of the four metrics for hybrid or in-person learning had not been met, according to local COVID-19 data. The county had advised that if two of the four metrics were not met, school districts should consider moving to a learning model with less in-person instruction.

To move to hybrid learning from remote, the McHenry County health department advised that positivity rates be below 8%, the incidence rate be fewer than 14 per 100,000 residents, and both the weekly count of new cases and hospitalizations connected to COVID-19 be stable or decreasing.

As of Thursday, the test positivity rate in McHenry County was at 12%, the incidence rate was 22 per 100,000 residents and weekly number of new cases had risen again. Recently, McHenry County was placed on “warning” status by the state, meaning new COVID-19 restrictions on businesses and public gatherings could potentially come to the area if the situation doesn’t improve.

Many of the surrounding counties and the state as a whole are seeing a surge in cases, the McHenry County health department said in a news release.

With the current trends, the health department expects to see a slower decline in the numbers than it had seen them rise, according to the release.

The school metrics are used only to advise school districts and is not intended to determine school policies, according to the release. It recommended school districts also consider their own circumstances, including infrastructure, staffing and the requirements laid out by the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Considering these metrics, Moan said in an email to families that the district will remain in remote only instruction through Nov. 6, and families will be updated on this situation the week of Nov. 2. District 200 will begin hybrid learning when all four health department metrics are met, Moan said.

“We share your frustration and remain prepared for a transition to hybrid learning and eventually in-person learning as soon as the [McHenry County Department of Health] metrics approved by the [Illinois] Board of Education are met,” Moan said in his email. “As much as we all want to see children back in school, we have committed to following the scientific recommendations of health professionals for the safety of our students, families, staff and community.”

District 26 will transition back to fully remote learning on Oct. 27, Superintendent Brian Coleman said in a letter posted to the district’s website.

For Cary students, there will be no school on Monday. Instead, that day will be used as a district planning day for staff to prepare to transition to fully remote learning on Tuesday, Coleman said.

Students will stay with their current teacher, and school day times will remain the same.

The district’s plan is to continue with remote learning until metrics improve and the county health department advises that districts can transition back to the hybrid learning model.

“We realize that this is not the news any of us wants to hear. We also recognize the difficulty placed on our families when students are not in school and we hope to return to our hybrid in-person instruction as soon as it is safe to do so,” Coleman said. “Our decision today puts the health and safety of students, staff, and our community as our highest priority and aligns with the recommendations from our local health officials.“

Wonder Lake-based Harrison School District 36, in response to the McHenry County health department’s news release, said although it respects its relationship with the health department, the district would keep the hybrid learning model it is currently in.

Superintendent Susan Wings said in a letter to families that the district, which serves a little more than 400 students, feels students would benefit most from in-person instruction and are taking precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19, such as implementing extra cleaning.

“We truly feel what is best for our community at this time is to continue following our plan,” she wrote.