August 26, 2021
Dear Barrington 220 Community,

It has been wonderful to welcome students back into our school buildings over the past few days, and I am looking forward to the rest of the 2021-22 school year. In order to keep everyone informed, I wanted to share a few COVID-19 related updates. 

Today Governor Pritzker held a press conference where he announced new mitigations for the state, as COVID-19 numbers increase and hospital capacities continue to be stretched statewide. First, a statewide indoor masking order will begin on Monday, August 30. In addition, beginning on September 5, all PK-12 educational employees in Illinois who are NOT fully vaccinated must submit to weekly testing (or more frequently if ordered by the local health department). We are working with our labor union leadership and Board of Education to address how weekly testing will be implemented among non-vaccinated staff members.
Mitigation Strategies
Our goal remains to do everything possible to continue to offer in-person learning for all of our students five days a week. In order to limit quarantines and transmission of COVID-19, we are currently working on ways to expand social distancing as much as possible in our cafeterias when students are not wearing masks. Any changes at our school buildings will be communicated by principals.

In the classroom setting a close contact is defined as a person who is less than 3 feet from a positive case for more than 15 minutes while wearing a mask. However in the lunchroom, when masks are not being worn, a close contact is defined as a person who is less than six feet from a positive case for more than 15 minutes. 

In addition to expanding social distancing in our cafeterias, in order to reduce the number of students who are quarantined, the district is using the “Test to Stay” strategy. Test to Stay can be used when unvaccinated students are masked and have been identified as a close contact. They will be able to test on days 1, 3, 5 and 7 after exposure and will be able to remain in the classroom and participate in activities, as long as they continue testing negative for COVID-19 on those days. It is important to note that Test to Stay is not an option in any situation where an unvaccinated close contact or the positive case are NOT wearing masks. Please review this graphic below for more details about Test to Stay. 
I appreciate your ongoing support and understanding as we work through these challenges.