Rocket Families,
Rochester CUSD #3a is closely monitoring the information being distributed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the Illinois State Board of Education. For the time being, please be aware that this guidance is expected to change and be updated in the coming days/weeks. What we do know is school will start for teachers on August 11th and students will report on August 13th. School will be in session full days, five days per week Monday through Friday. Our goal is to remain consistent with the current Phase 5 guidance, the same guidelines we've all been enjoying this summer. At this time, we ask our families and community to continue their patience and understanding as the Rochester Administration, Faculty/Staff Leadership, and School Board members continue to monitor emerging guidance and information in order to make decisions in the coming days and weeks.
The IDPH statement can be found here: IDPH
The CDC statement can be found here: CDC
The ISBE statement can be found here: ISBE
As you read the documents you will learn that the IDPH appears to be following the CDC guidelines. The guideline given to us that raises the most questions is the CDC recommendation of continued masking for, “all (age 2 and older) who are not fully vaccinated.” Additionally, the guidance is not clear on the use of quarantines. The IDPH is currently updating its school guidance FAQ document that will provide greater clarity for school districts regarding COVID-19 mitigations. We expect this document to be released in the coming days.
As we await further guidance, we will continue to provide updates as we receive new information. I cannot thank you enough for your continued patience and partnership as we navigate this challenge together. We look forward to seeing our students back full time on August 13th!
As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions.
Be the Difference,
Dan W. Cox, Superintendent of Schools