Barrington 220 Announces Schools Closing Due to Coronavirus

/
2 mins read

Barrington 220 Schools Superintendent, Dr. Brian Harris just sent a message to the community saying, due to coronavirus, the decision has been made to close all school buildings to students the week of March 16th. Since spring break is set to begin on March 20, the district will be implementing its Distance Learning Plan Monday through Thursday of next week. All activities and events at the buildings are canceled through spring break. Here’s that message from Dr. Harris.

Dear Barrington 220 Community:

Based on the rapidly evolving situation of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and recommendations from public health officials to limit public gatherings, Barrington 220 is closing all school buildings to students the week of March 16. In addition, all activities and events at the buildings are canceled through spring break.

However, students will be “in school” virtually and we will implement our Distance Learning Plan (click here to see FAQs) on Monday, March 16 through Thursday, March 19. This means students will be learning from home next week and these days will not have to be made up at the end of the school year. As you are aware, Friday, March 20 was a previously scheduled day off for students.

Spring Break will run as scheduled March 20-March 29. As a precautionary measure, next week Barrington 220 will request in a separate communication that families and staff voluntarily complete an online form, if you have plans for international travel over spring break, or during the month of April. Students and staff will be asked to stay home for a period of 14 days from the time they leave an area with widespread or ongoing community spread (CDC Level 3 Travel Health Notice).

We will make sure students bring home all their devices, chargers and any materials they would need to complete assignments TODAY. All K-12 students, including kindergarten students, will use their devices for Distance Learning next week. In the event a student forgets learning materials/devices at school, please contact the school next week.

As required by Board Policy 4:180 Pandemic Preparedness, Barrington 220 has created this Pandemic Preparedness Plan. This document is subject to change, as the situation develops. In addition, I encourage you to visit our Coronavirus web page for the latest information: www.barrington220.org/coronavirus

Thank you in advance for your support as we implement what is best for our students and staff during this unprecedented time. We understand this may cause challenges for some families, however we believe this is in the best interest for our school community at this time. We will consult with our local health officials over spring break to evaluate when it is safe for our students and staff to return to our facilities. If necessary, Barrington 220 is prepared to continue the Distance Learning Plan after spring break. We will continue sending out regular updates as needed.

For the latest updates, click here to visit the Barrington 220 Coronavirus webpage.


Formed in 1973, Barrington Community Unit School District 220 educates over 9,000 students at one high school, two middle schools (grades 6-8), eight elementary schools, and one early childhood center. District 220 encompasses 72 square miles in 4 counties and covers 12 villages: all of Barrington, Lake Barrington, Tower Lakes; and portions of Barrington Hills, Carpentersville, Deer Park, Fox River Grove, Port Barrington, Hoffman Estates, Inverness, North Barrington, and South Barrington. Learn more at Barrington220.org.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Latest from Blog