SHIELD UPDATE: COVID screening has concluded for the current school year

Monday, May 16, was the final SHIELD screening of the 2021-2022 school year in District 2. Testing will not be offered during the last week of the school year, or for summer school and summer enrichment programs.

COVID UPDATE: Masks on buses, reporting close contacts, and the CDC’s new risk metrics

The CDC is now assessing COVID risks on a county-by-county basis. DuPage County (and all of northeast Illinois) is at the lowest risk level. This is good news. It’s another indication that we are in a strong position to make the required changes we’ve recently made to our COVID mitigation plans.

COVID UPDATE: Our masking and quarantine requirements are changing

Mask wearing is now highly recommended in District 2 schools, not required. Additionally, students and staff will only be required to quarantine if they are experiencing COVID symptoms.

FROM THE SUPERINTENDENTS: Thoughts on our evolving COVID mitigation plans

Please know that we want to honor everyone’s views on this matter.  At the same time, we must meet our legal requirements while providing a safe environment for students and staff. 

IT’S WORKING! Continued decline in COVID cases supports school safety measures

Thank you again for helping us contain this recent COVID surge. It hasn’t been easy, but we’ve made it this far together. Let’s keep it up, and keep our schools safe for teaching and learning. 

SICK OF COVID? So are we, and we have good news to share!

We know - the COVID news is nonstop, as are our efforts to keep you informed. Thank you for hanging in there with us! Today, we have some good news to share!

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: CDC’s new quarantine and isolation guidelines are now in effect

The Illinois Department of Public Health has adopted for schools the recently-issued CDC guidance reducing quarantine and isolation lengths and clarifying vaccination statuses. These new guidelines are detailed below, and – moving forward – will be implemented by District 2.

AVOID COVID & QUARANTINE: If your child is fully vaccinated, submit a copy of their verification card

Fully vaccinated students are not required to quarantine if exposed to someone with COVID. If your child has received the COVID vaccine, please complete our confidential online vaccination verification form. The information collected from it will be essential in assisting us in keeping students and staff safe.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: Reduced quarantine and isolation guidelines coming next week

The new guidelines will allow students to return to in-person instruction sooner. This will reduce the likelihood that we will have to close our schools due to COVID-related staffing challenges.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: In-person instruction will continue as directed by the DuPage County Health Department

Monday’s SHIELD testing produced more confirmed COVID cases among students and staff across the District than anticipated. The DuPage County Health Department has, however, said that schools should continue in-person instruction unless staffing challenges prevent it from occurring.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: Illinois is not implementing new CDC guidance for schools

The Illinois Department of Public Health has NOT adopted for schools the recently-issued CDC guidance reducing some quarantine and isolation lengths to just five days. For District 2 and its students and staff, this means positive cases must isolate for 10 days, and close contacts must quarantine for 10 days.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: Shout out to BMS parents who have submitted vaccination verification for their children

If your child has received the COVID vaccine, please click the link below to complete the confidential online vaccination verification form. The information collected from it will be essential in assisting us in keeping students and staff safe.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: Two confirmed cases produced 11 close contacts last week

A case at Tioga resulted in five close contacts, and a case at Johnson that was reported through the District’s first SHIELD Illinois COVID screening resulted in six close contacts.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: SHIELD Illinois screening begins Monday in BSD2 schools

The test will only be administered to students whose parents signed them up to participate in the program earlier this school year. Once the SHIELD program is running smoothly across the District, enrollment will reopen to allow additional students and staff to participate in the program. Stay tuned for more details.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: Positive cases at Blackhawk send 23 students into quarantine

More than half of these quarantines were preventable. A student attended school for one day and was sent home with COVID symptoms. Had that not happened, 12 quarantined students would still be attending school without interruption.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: Two cases produced no close contacts last week

Through three weeks, the District's layered mitigation efforts are proving successful at keeping COVID from spreading in its schools.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: Week 2 brings one confirmed case, as well as new mask and vaccine mandates from the Governor

Masks must be worn in all indoor settings starting August 30, and all educational employees must provide proof of their COVID vaccination or submit to weekly COVID testing starting September 5.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: School year starts with no new COVID cases

No new COVID diagnoses among BSD2 staff and students were reported to the District during the first week of the 2021-2022 school year. Help us continue this safe start to the school year. Stay home when you are sick, wash your hands, watch your distance, and ALWAYS wear a mask when you are in a BSD2 school.

COVID UPDATE: Face coverings now required in BSD2 buildings, regardless of vaccination status

DuPage County has now moved into a Substantial level of community transmission for COVID-19. In these areas of heightened transmission, the CDC and the Illinois Department of Public Health recommend that all individuals, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, wear a mask in public indoor settings.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: Mask-wearing in schools will continue

Mask-wearing is still the norm in all Illinois schools. Please continue to follow District 2’s current practices. Students and staff should wear masks except during meals and outdoor mask breaks.