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HSCUD #5 Return to School Plan 2021-22

Dear Henry-Senachwine Families:

Below you will find the HSCUD #5 return to school plan for the 2021-22 school year.  In addition to prioritizing the health and safety of all, a focus of the plan is to ensure that we remain in-person as much as possible and limit quarantining students and staff.

Please understand that our Return to School Plan is subject to change based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC,) Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and other factors.

The School Day

School will resume to an in-person format, regular hours, 5-days a week.  

There will be no temperature checks or symptom screenings for students as they enter the school buildings or board the bus.  

Parents/Guardians are to symptom check their students prior to school and keep students home if they are sick or exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.  By sending your child to school you are self-certifying, daily, that your child is symptom free from COVID-19.

Visitors to the building will be required to self-certify they are not exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms and adhere to current masking/prevention policies.

Outside recess and playground activities will resume, as normal as possible.  

Breakfast and lunch will be offered on-site this year.  Breakfast will be available to students in the morning at each building.  All students will receive free breakfast/lunch this year.

Field trips and fundraisers must be approved by the administration and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

We will utilize a heat release schedule on an as needed basis at the beginning of the school year.  Heat releases may be as early as 11:30 a.m.  We will notify you through our text notification system and on our website “Live Feed”, as early heat releases are announced.

Remote Learning:

Given the requirement to return to in-person education, the remote learning format will be different this school year.   

Remote learning will be provided on a limited basis to students who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine or who are not eligible for a COVID vaccine, only when they are under quarantine consistent with health department guidance. 

Students who have a medical condition may be eligible for homebound programming, which will require a physician's certification. 

Face Coverings/Masking:  

Per the Governor’s Executive Order, masks are required to be worn indoors by all teachers, staff, students, and visitors in all PK-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.  As a result, masks are required when indoors in any Henry-Senachwine School District building.  This mask requirement also extends to indoor athletic events, practices, open gyms, weightlifting, etc., unless a specific exemption applies.

Face covering means cloth face covering, N95 mask, surgical mask, or other material that fully covers the nose and mouth and is approved by the CDC.  Face shields are not considered as an allowable face covering.

Except for individuals younger than 2 years of age, any individual present in any building, facility or transportation vehicle (i.e. bus) owned, operated or used by the District, shall at all times wear a face covering. 

Families should provide student(s) with a clean face covering each day. Each building has a limited supply of cloth masks to provide students if requested. 

Wearing a face covering, social distancing when possible, and hand hygiene are to be practiced by all students, staff, and visitors.  Face coverings need to be worn at all times in the building, even when social distancing is maintained.  

Masks are required to be worn by drivers and passengers on school buses, school vans, in the driver's education vehicle and in other modes of school transportation.

Outdoors: In general, people do not need to wear masks when outdoors.  It is recommended to wear a mask if in crowded outdoor settings or during activities that involve sustained close contact with other people who are not fully vaccinated.

Individuals who cannot wear a face covering due to a medical condition or disability related condition, or who present other bona fide reasons for not being able to wear a face covering, may be permitted to utilize alternative options such as a face shield or other reasonable accommodation.  Persons unable to wear a face covering due to medical reasons, will need to provide supporting documentation from a physician or other qualified healthcare provider and they will need to contact the building principal to make a request for reasonable accommodation. 

Physical Distancing:

Classrooms (Indoors):  We plan to maintain at least 3 feet of physical distance between students in classrooms, to the greatest extent possible.  In order to prioritize in-person learning, distances may be less than 3 feet. 

Food Service (Indoors):  We plan to maintain 3 feet of physical distance in the food service line and 6 feet of physical distance while students are eating, to the greatest extent possible.

Bus Transportation:  Physical distancing will be maintained to the greatest extent possible, but may be less than 3 feet.  It is anticipated that two (2) students will be assigned per bus seat.

Contact Tracing & Quarantine:

In the event of a positive COVID-19 case, the school will consult with the local health department to identify and notify close contacts.

Per IDPH guidance, quarantine options may include a 14-day quarantine, 10-day quarantine, 7-day quarantine, or a test-to-stay option.

Under current guidance (indoors), if both students are masked, students need to be at least 3 feet apart not to be considered a close contact.  If unmasked, students within 6 feet of a COVID-case are considered a close contact and would require quarantine. 

Screening & Testing:

HSCUD #5 is investigating offering a SHIELD (saliva testing) and BinaxNOW (rapid antigen test) screening/testing program for students and staff.  The screening/testing program is optional and will require parental/guardian consent.  The screening/testing program will support identifying both asymptomatic and symptomatic COVID-19 cases.  The testing program may be used to keep students in school when identified as a close contact and to potentially limit quarantine time, per Test to Stay Protocol.  More information will be provided soon.

Athletics/Extracurriculars:

We will utilize the Restore Illinois All-Sports Guidance guidance provided by DCEO/IDPH/ and/or ISBE, as well as information from the IHSA/IESA and other pertinent agencies. 

Cleaning, Sanitation, & Disinfection:

Hand Hygiene:  Schools will encourage frequent and proper handwashing.  Handwashing supplies (soap, paper towels, hand sanitizer, tissues etc..) will be available for all grade levels and in common areas.

Frequent cleaning and disinfection will be conducted per the recommendations of the CDC, and IDPH.  Cleaning protocols have been established for our facilities, food service areas and school buses.

Sanitation kits will be located in each classroom as well as throughout the buildings to assist with cleaning. 

Health/Safety Guidance:

Any individual  who tests positive for COVID-19 or who shows signs or symptoms of the illness should stay at home and contact the school office.  Currently known symptoms are:

  1. Fever

  2. Cough

  3. Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

  4. Chills

  5. Fatigue

  6. Muscle and body aches

  7. Headache

  8. Sore throat

  9. New loss of taste/smell

  10. Nausea

  11. Vomiting

  12. Diarrhea.

  13. Known close contact with a person who has been diagnosed with COVID-19

Vaccination  Information:

Visit www.vaccines.gov to find out where teachers, staff, students, and their families can get vaccinated against COVID-19

District Communication:

The District will utilize the following platforms to communicate information:

District/School websites: www.hscud5.org

Email messages

Phone/Text messages






Dated:  August 5, 2021