Update Center: COVID-19 and School Closures

Latest Communication

Updated May 29, 2020

Presentations: 2020-21 Planning Update and Potential Financial Impact of COVID-19 in District 97

During the May 26 meeting of the District 97 Board of Education, Superintendent Carol Kelley presented an update on the district’s response to the COVID-19 crisis and the planning work that is currently underway for the 2020-21 school year. The district’s financial consultant, Robert Grossi, also gave a presentation on the potential financial impact of the pandemic.

Video recordings of the presentations are linked below, along with the original slides. Information about the planning team is also available online at https://www.op97.org/updatecenter/2020-21-planning.

As we shared in our May 20 update, District 97 has not yet made any decisions regarding the 2020-21 school year. We have spent the past few weeks planning for a number of scenarios, all of which will depend on the most up-to-date guidance from the governor (Restore Illinois), the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). School districts are anticipating that we will receive further direction from the state in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, we will continue working to ensure that we are ready to resume classes safely—whichever form that may be. We are committed to keeping our community updated throughout the summer. Please continue to check your email from the district at least once per week, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

COVID-19 Transition Planning Update

• Video recording and presentation materials
• Presentation overview (video time stamps and pages are included for convenience)
  • Superintendent Kelley shared some highlights from the district’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, including food delivery, access, staff professional learning, community engagement and facilities management (1:26, Slides 4-11)
  • Innovation opportunity for equity (6:03, Slide 12)
  • Restore Illinois (7:10, Slide 13)
  • Scenario planning - key assumptions (8:31, Slides 15-22)
  • COVID-19 Transition Planning Team (16:56, Slides 23-24)
  • Key focus areas
    • District Calendar and Scheduling, presented by Gina Herrmann, senior director of human resources (19:06, Slides 26-28)
    • Learning Models, presented by Michael Arensdorff, senior director of technology, and Eboney Lofton, chief academic and accountability officer (21:40, Slides 29-36)
    • Social Emotional/Wellness, presented by Carrie Kamm, senior director of equity (27:40, Slides 37-40)
    • Safety Operations and Protocols, presented by Jim Hackett, safety and security manager (33:24, Slides 41-44)
    • Financial Impact, presented by Felicia Starks Turner, associate superintendent of education (39:55, Slides 45-46)
  • Next Steps and communication, presented by Amanda Siegfried, director of communications (44:24, Slide 47)

Presentation: Preparing for the Potential Financial Impact of COVID-19

Robert Grossi, the district’s financial consultant, provided the board with an overview of the financial uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 economic shutdown and the fiscal vulnerability of District 97. Although the district’s current financial situation is strong, Grossi shared some immediate areas for consideration in order to manage the possibility of a substantial and extended statewide fiscal crisis.

We will keep the community updated on the district’s financial projections and planning as part of our COVID-19 response. The presentation materials are linked below.

• Video recording
• Board memo
• Presentation materials