The vast majority of the Oak Park community, including D-97 students and staff, are vaccinated. Vaccinations clearly provide protection against serious illness.  As such, our mitigation efforts have diminishing returns - but continue to have consequences to children and families.  As members of the Oak Park community, and family and supporters of D-97 students, we call on D-97 to recognize that COVID-19 is here to stay, but that our community and children are nonetheless safe due to vaccines; and to develop, communicate, and implement a clear plan to move towards the reality of living with Covid-19, roll back mitigations, and return education to our children.  

Specifically, we ask D-97 to:

1. Immediately stop requiring the use of masks outdoors on school grounds;
2. Permit students to interact during lunch;
3. Provide hot lunch options to students as soon as can logistically be arranged; 
4. Permit parents and family members to attend school and classroom events, both indoors and outdoors, as soon as logistically can be allowed; and
5. When the state-wide indoor mask mandate is terminated, stop requiring vaccinated students, staff, and visitors to wear masks indoors.

For any measures that cannot be implemented immediately, we seek a clear written plan, with defined metrics, setting forth when such measures will be implemented.  

By all standards, Oak Park’s vaccination efforts have been a huge success.  Almost 80% of D-97 students and 95% of D-97 staff are vaccinated.  Further, every child over age 4, teen, and adult in Oak Park has had ample opportunity to get vaccinated, and boosted as appropriate.  Vaccines prevent severe illness and death. Moreover, our vaccination figures do not account for the immunity afforded those unvaccinated individuals who have already had COVID.  

Children - and particularly vaccinated children - are exceedingly low risk for complications from COVID-19.  Illinois has had approximately three million cumulative pediatric cases of reported Covid-19. And yet, among vaccinated youth (0-19 yrs) in Illinois, there have been only 47 pediatric hospitalizations in Illinois, and no deaths. This is an extremely low rate of severe illness or death.

It is now clear that COVID will not be eradicated - not in Oak Park, and not in the world at large.  But, with exceedingly high vaccination rates, we have passed the tipping point in Oak Park where the costs of ongoing aggressive mitigations - to Oak Park families and children – exceed diminishing benefits.  

Illness and death are not the only harms caused by the pandemic.  And in light of our high vaccination rates, they are no longer the greatest harm. Social Isolation due to quarantines, remote schooling, and separation from friends have led to a mental health crisis of unprecedented proportions. In October 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics declared a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health. Teachers have raised the red flag on learning loss and significant emotional and behavioral challenges in the classroom. Further, national data shows that schools are not a driver of community spread. In light of our high vaccination rates, we can no longer ignore these harms. It is time for D-97 to change course.

We support families, children, and staff who elect to remain masked. Those who have concerns despite the ample protection afforded by vaccines can and should arm themselves with additional protection.

COVID is here to stay.  Our children have experienced two years of disruption, isolation, and loss. It is time for D-97 to take the lead in rolling back now-unnecessary mitigations, and to give our children the best educational experience possible.