Back-to-School Update Regarding CrisisGo

Dear District 97 Staff and Families,

We are writing today to share a couple of updates to the district’s back-to-school plan for 2021-22, including:

  • Discontinuing daily health certifications (CrisisGo)
  • Requirements for vaccinated individuals who are exposed to COVID-19

We will continue to monitor local conditions and keep you informed of any changes to our mitigations. Thank you for your support as we prepare for a safe reopening later this month.

Sincerely,

Dr. Griff Powell and Dr. Patricia Wernet
Interim Superintendents

Daily Health Certifications (CrisisGo)

After carefully reviewing the latest guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), and consulting with our local health department, we have decided that District 97 will not be using a daily health certification self-screener during the 2021-22 school year.

The updated guidance from ISBE/IDPH states, “Both the [Centers for Disease Control] operational guidance for K-12 schools and this joint guidance no longer recommend fever and symptom screening by school staff upon arrival at school. Instead, self-screening for COVID-19-like symptoms, as well as any other symptoms of common respiratory viruses and ailments, prior to arriving on school grounds or boarding school transportation continues to be recommended.”

District 97 will continue to encourage staff and students to stay home when they are sick or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. This includes fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, fatigue, muscle and body aches, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, vomiting, or diarrhea. Individuals who exhibit or self-report symptoms should be referred to a medical provider for evaluation, testing, treatment, and information about when they can return to school.

Requirements for Vaccinated Individuals Who Are Exposed to COVID-19

As we previously communicated, students and staff who are fully vaccinated with no COVID-19-like symptoms do not need to quarantine or be restricted from school or extracurricular activities if they are identified as close contacts to a confirmed case. This continues to be the case. However, due to the transmissibility of the Delta variant, IDPH and CDC now recommend that fully vaccinated individuals get tested three to five (3-5) days following a close contact exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.

We will be working with our school nurses to develop and communicate plans for collecting appropriate documentation from vaccinated students and staff should they be identified as close contacts.