CCSD15 Update
March 4, 2020
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Dear CCSD15 Parents/Guardians:
As was shared on February 27, the health and safety of our students and staff has always been a top priority in District 15. There have been many questions about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) this week in light of the case at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights. Many parents are asking for more details about the District’s procedures and plans regarding communicable diseases and COVID-19 in general. I wanted to share a second communication with you today with more information related to this issue.
NURSING PROCEDURES
To be proactive regarding the COVID-19 virus and other seasonal communicable illnesses, we are taking measures in District 15 to protect our students and staff. Our District Coordinator of Health Services Karen Flor is working closely with the Registered Nurses in every school to monitor absences and track illnesses with flu-like symptoms. In the event there is a cluster of illness of any kind, the Cook County Health Department (CCHD) is contacted and communication is sent to the families of children in that specific classroom or school, as directed by the CCHD.
HEALTH PROTOCOLS
Please partner with us to prevent the spread of illness during cold and flu season by keeping your children home when they are sick. If you or your child has symptoms of COVID-19, please report this to your physician for further evaluation.
CLEANING & HYGIENE
District 15 will be increasing deep cleaning measures in our buildings and buses to include increased daily cleaning of hard classroom surface areas and high-touch objects like door handles. Daily school bus cleaning is also taking place.
We have purchased hospital-grade high efficiency disinfection tools that will be used in the schools, which will allow custodial staff to sanitize a room more efficiently during our evening deep cleaning routine.
The use of hand sanitizer is permitted in classrooms, and pending the purchase of additional products, District 15 will be making sanitizer available to students and staff in all schools.
We always encourage hand washing in schools, and will continue to remind students to wash hands before eating and after using the bathroom.
POTENTIAL SCHOOL CLOSURES
We have been asked about potential school closures. At this time, no health organization is recommending that our schools be closed due to COVID-19. If the health department recommends schools be closed, we will utilize our five emergency closure days built into the 2019-20 school year calendar. If schools would need to be closed for longer than five days, we would rely on the Illinois State Board of Education to guide us on next steps.
As an elementary school district without district-issued technology or guaranteed Internet access for all students, we are not equipped to hold digital or e-learning days.
PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS
WEBSITE UPDATES
We will continue to provide you with any pertinent information and updates from health experts and agencies as well as any information about COVID-19 as it impacts our area. Please be aware that this information is rapidly changing as new information comes to light.
To keep everyone informed with the latest COVID-19 news and information, there is a dedicated COVID-19 page on our Health Services website.
Thank you for your continued partnership in educating the students of District 15.
Sincerely,
Dr. Laurie Heinz
Superintendent of Schools
Community Consolidated School District 15
Email: d15communications@ccsd15.net
Website: www.ccsd15.net
Location: 580 North 1st Bank Drive, Palatine, IL, USA
Phone: 847-963-3000
Facebook: facebook.com/CCSD15
Twitter: @D15Schools