This week, school just got mandatory again

Du Quoin students who have not been taking advantage of the remote learning opportunities offered by Du Quoin Unit District 300 during the COVID-19 hiatus, are about to face a lot more pressure to get with the program.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker's recent executive order mandates all Illinois public and private K-12 schools to provide education for students during the shutdown.

Starting Tuesday (March 31), the previous off days from school, referred to as "act of God" days, will now be counted as full attendance days.

Du Quoin has been providing education materials since school first dismissed on March 17. But whether students took advantage of them was voluntary.

"We've had a good response, but there were certainly parents and kids we haven't heard from," Superintendent Matt Hickam said Monday.

Now, he said, "Our focus will be to make a concerted effort to reach every kid every week."

Teachers will make an extra effort to contact parents or older students directly and the principals are putting a system in place, he said.

"That's an advantage of being a small town and a small school district," Hickam said.

So far, no virus cases have been reported among the staff at District 300.

Hickam said he's grateful to work with people who have to be flexible every day, so when they had to pivot to remote learning it was relatively seamless.

Still, "People are tired of being contained, and they are missing their kids," he said. "Getting email, texts and even video is great, but doesn't replace the face-to-face human interaction."

Days not made up?

State education officials announced late Friday that Illinois schools will not have not make up days lost to the coronavirus shutdown.

Of course, no one knows how long the shutdown will last. Pritzker last extended it to April 7, but it is expected the shutdown will be extended - even Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has said so.

Hickam said he understands the state board of education wants to promote consistently among all Illinois school districts, but getting students properly educated without making up the time will "definitely be a challenge," he said.

"Regardless of how great the remote work program is it doesn't take the place of classroom interaction," Hickam said. "I want to get kids back in with their teachers to make up for lost time.

"But I don't know if we'll have the opportunity."

Hickam said he takes some solace in Knowing District 300 will hold summer school.

But summer school doesn't traditionally offer a full curriculum. Instead it is usually based on core subjects and some enrichment. Nor is it mandatory.

"I don't know what it's going to look like this summer," Hickam said. "Although I expect there will be a lot of parents who want their kids involved."

A more robust summer curriculum will cost more money than is budgeted, too.

Hickam said the federal stimulus will provide some money to districts, funneled through the state board of education and largely based on need.

Governors are also being given discretionary funds for schools, he said.