From Superintendent of Schools Curt Nettles:

Due to the escalation over the past few days of positive cases in our county, among our families, staff and students, Clinton CUSD 15 will be moving to its full Remote Learning Plan.  This plan will be in effect for all CUSD 15 schools.

We have always felt and still feel that in-person learning is the best scenario for our students.  However, the recent increase in the positive cases has also caused many students to have to be excluded from school due to being close contacts.  In the past several days, we have also had a number of support staff and instructional staff have to be excluded from school as well.  We feel that not only instruction will be affected, but we fear the impact on our food service, transportation and maintenance staff will happen as well.

Please understand that if we could avoid doing this, we would.

Tomorrow, Friday, will be the last day for students to be in person until the end of Christmas Break.  We believe that taking these three weeks will give us the necessary time to hopefully stop any spread among the students and staff.

Monday and Tuesday will be Remote Planning Days for staff to work to prepare for the three weeks of remote learning that lie ahead.  Remote instruction will begin on Monday, Nov. 30 and last until Friday, Dec. 18.  Students will be expected to be engaged according to their teachers’ instructions each day.  Those instructions will be discussed tomorrow with the students, and they will be shared with students that are currently quarantining at home.

If you have specific questions regarding these expectations once you have received them, please contact your child’s teacher or the principal of the school. 

Students that have been on remote learning from the start of the year will continue their current learning program as usual. 

Plans for second semester will be shared in the very near future.  The second semester begins on Monday, Jan. 4^th. 

Thank you for your patience and understanding.  The support of this community for the school district is greatly appreciated.

School district anticipated move to virtual classes

Katy O'Grady-Pyne / Clinton Journal

This semester, Clinton schools offered families the choice of in-person or remote learning.

“We always feel like we’re teetering,” said Superintendent Curt Nettles about the fine decision line between in-person and remote learning.

Nettles said there are students missing from each building due to the corona virus or exposure to it, and the maximum at any one school has been around 20 students.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has allowed school districts to be the decision-makers about in-person or remote learning, but Nettles added, “Everyone should be aware (full remote learning) is a possibility.”

Board members also heard from Athletic Director Matt Koeppel who explained with the state’s new mitigation factors and IHSA’s recent announcement to take a hiatus from sports until after the first of the year, Clinton is not currently hosting any practices or athletic activities.

In other business, the board:

Approved the remote learning expectations for staff.

Approved a tentative levy for the 2021-22 school year with the tax rate remaining unchanged.

Approved the employment of Elizabet Neal, PreK teacher at Lincoln; Padma Priya Thota, aide at Douglas; Lena Dannison, kitchen at Douglas; Alaina Ruseel, crossing guard; and Brock Bunner, boys’ volunteer assistant coach.