As stakeholders in the success of Mahomet-Seymour schools, including but not limited to residents, family members, alumni, business owners, educators, and more, we acknowledge the challenges that the Mahomet-Seymour schools face in determining the best plans for reopening during a pandemic. We also acknowledge that if COVID-19 wasn’t a threat, parents would prefer a full 5-day school week—this is not what anyone wants for our children. We understand that everyone desires for life to go back to normal, but we acknowledge that we are living in a new normal until a vaccine is found for COVID-19 and Illinois moves into Phase 5. We also appreciate the reopening challenges that come from shifting regulations and guidance from ISBE, IHSA, and the CDC, including the new guidelines from the CDC issued the week of July 5, 2020.  We understand that as the COVID-19 landscape changes during the school year, plans might shift and change after the school year begins.

The reopening task forces for Mahomet-Seymour schools, K-5 and 6-12, were comprised of teachers and staff who developed plans that focused on the following:

1. How to keep students safe—children do not face the same level of health risks as adults due to COVID-19, but they are not immune, can unknowingly be high risk, and can face additional risk due to multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children
2. How to keep the entire community safe—although children are less likely to develop serious symptoms due to COVID-19, they can still be asymptomatic or presymptomatic carriers and pass COVID-19 on to family members, friends, and the community at large, which could have devastating consequences for families and businesses in our community
3. How to keep the employees of Mahomet-Seymour schools safe—increased exposure means increased risk to teachers, aids, staff, and administrators, which could not only result in serious and potentially long-term or fatal consequences but at a minimum could prove to be extremely disruptive to children’s learning due to teacher absences
4. Analysis and implementation of guidelines from ISBE and the CDC to ensure that social distancing, sanitation, mask requirements, lunch room and hallway passing requirements, transportation rules, quarantine guidelines and more were accounted for
5. An understanding of all that is still unknown about COVID-19—there are no definitive answers yet regarding transmission, spread, antibodies/ability to build immunity, long-term health effects, and more
6. Providing students with an exceptional and equitable education while we are in Phase 4 that is consistent, well-planned, and minimally disruptive

As stakeholders in the Mahomet-Seymour schools and communities, we request that the school board:

1. Invite tasks force members to make a presentation on their proposed reopening plans
2. Fully accept the plans as outlined or provide specific feedback to the task forces regarding potential challenges and missed opportunities with the end result being revised plans for K-5 and 6-12
3. Provide a fully remote option for families that are unable or unwilling to send their children to in-person school due to COVID-19
4. Provide all students access to technology, internet, meals, and educational resources in order to support successful remote learning
5. Allow teachers who are high risk, live with others who are high risk, or are caregivers for others who are high risk to work remotely
6.  Update student dress codes to require masks
7. Work with facilities staff to ensure safety and sanitation measures are in place in all of the schools. This should include restrooms that are socially distanced, 6 ft distance reminders in common waiting areas, socially distanced lunch room options, no-touch hand sanitizer stations, sanitized classrooms, dedicated temperature/system check areas at school entry points, HVAC systems are properly functioning to ensure no air recirculation/only air from outside, and more.
8.  Partner with community members, businesses, organizations, and churches to combat logistical and space issues with creative solutions, such as the development of outdoor classroom spaces and the expansion of Kids Club for families in need of childcare
   
9. Invest in the resources teachers need to provide exceptional education remotely to all students as well as resources, such as Zoom, that allow for better interactivity between teachers and students
10. Provide additional mental health resources to students, faculty, staff, and administrators who are facing additional mental strain due to COVID-19
11. Work with legal team and insurance representatives to ensure that the schools are following those guidelines as well as covering any liability that would arise from COVID-19 being spread and teachers, staff, and students falling ill due to school reopening

Thank you to everyone for your efforts to provide our children an education in the safest manner possible.