March 13, 2020 – The following statement was released by District 61 on behalf of DPS61 Superintendent Paul Fregeau:
Dear DPS Students, Staff, Families, and Community:
Due to this afternoon’s announcement from Governor Pritzker, Decatur Public Schools will be closed from Tuesday, March 17 through Monday, March 30, 2020. DPS has made the decision that students will not be in attendance on Monday, March 16. However, we are asking all teachers and staff to report to work on Monday to assist in plans and preparations for the next two weeks. We will also be meeting with all union leadership on Monday.
DPS administration has been actively preparing this week for the possibility that our schools could be closed. Our preparations include developing a distance learning, or e-learning, activity plan to minimize educational disruption during this school closure. District administrators and teacher leadership have been in communication regarding plans for next week, and anticipate e-learning to begin for students as quickly as possible. Information on implementation of this plan will be communicated to students and families in the coming days, including guidance on when students can pick up packets from schools.
We are also making plans to provide food for our students who rely on school meals and will communicate the information on food distribution to families as soon as possible. The Governor’s closing of schools also means that all practices, school activities, and school-related special events are canceled March 17-30.
We have created a page on the DPS website that includes updated guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), and the CDC – you can find that at dps61.org/coronavirus. Please continue to look for communications from DPS and our schools as we monitor and assess the educational, health, and wellness needs of our community.
