Update: The Chicago Tribune reports that there are now 120 student in quarantine, resulting from 9 students testing positive for COVID.
As reported in the Kane County Chronicle yesterday, Geneva High School has adopted an “adaptive pause” of in-school teaching in the wake of 37 students being sent home last Thursday for quarantine related to “COVID-19 exposure.” The pause is initially supposed to last the rest of this week.
According to a statement from Principal Tom Rogers, “During the adaptive pause the district will examine Geneva High School’s learning model and determine what, if any, adjustments can be made to ensure ongoing success for our students.”
According to its website, Geneva High School has 1,982 students. 37 students represent 1.8% of the student body.
It is important to note that the 37 students in question have not tested positive for the virus, and that their quarantine is strictly a precautionary measure adopted by the school district based on, as Rogers noted in his statement, Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) guidelines that indicate that quarantine is necessary for individuals who have been “exposed to a confirmed case defined as having been within 6 feet of the confirmed case for a cumulative time period of 15 minutes over 24 hours and not fully vaccinated.”
It is also noteworthy that the IDPH guidelines appear to be based on outdated social distancing guidelines, which have been revised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to indicate that 3 feet, rather than 6 feet, should be the required distance. It is unclear why this change is not reflected in IDPH guidance.
Given the extreme hesitancy of district personnel – particularly the teachers union and the D304 School Board – to reopen to full-time, in-person teaching, this action by the GHS administration has met with some skepticism from parents.
So, we want to know what you think. We’ll publish the results on Monday, April 19.
