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July 6, 2021

Vaccination clinic for D158 students 12 years and older will be held at the HHS Field House on July 10 and July 31
Vaccination clinic for D158 students 12 years and older will be held at the HHS Field House on July 10 and July 31

News • July 6, 2021

D158 must continue mask mandates even as students get vaccinated against COVID-19 due to lack of ISBE guideline updates

By

Huntley Community School District 158 (D158) announced on June 25, that it would be hosting an on-site vaccination clinic for D158 students 12 years or older, at the Huntley High School Field House on July 10 for the first dose and July 31 for the second dose.

Walgreens pharmacy will be providing and administering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at both July clinics from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Eligible family members may also sign up for the clinic, with D158 stating that students from other districts may be accommodated if space allows. Minors are encouraged to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. However, a vaccine can still be given to a student without parental supervision, if a consent form has been signed.

Despite D158 allowing students who are fully vaccinated to participate in indoor and outdoor extracurricular activities without a mask, students must still continue to wear one while in school.

In an effort to further pressure the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) into releasing public health guidelines for schools to better align with Phase 5, the Large Unit District Association (LUDA), composed a letter on June 22 to state superintendent Carmen Ayala.

LUDA is comprised by superintendents across Illinois, representing 52 of the largest school districts and more than half a million students.

“We request that social distancing, quarantining and masking guidelines in schools be consistent with health guidelines of Phase 5 as applied with other venues in Illinois…Schools should not have to operate under tighter restrictions than what has been deemed safe in other circumstances,” the letter said in part.

Ayala responded via ISBE’s weekly message that Tuesday, stating they are continuing to work with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to “release revised guidance as soon as possible.”

D158 Board of Education (BOE) president Tony Quagliano, made the announcement that starting in July, BOE meetings will now operate under Phase 5 guidelines. This would eliminate capacity limits in the meeting room, as well as allow fully vaccinated individuals to attend without a mask.

Superintendent Scott Rowe, explained that BOE meetings operate under different parameters than the guidelines put in place for schools because students are not always present in that building.

“Obviously, when students are here during student recognition while the state of Illinois is still making having a mask [a] mandate, I think it probably will be in our students’ and community’s best interest, let alone our perception and respect of our students, to wear masks when students are present,” Rowe said at the June 17 BOE meeting.

Rowe was one of the superintendents that signed the letter sent to Ayala on June 22, having explained that positive cases of COVID-19 at the district happened because of involvement in high contact sports or other outside activities, not through transmission in the school buildings.

“[This is] the basis of mine and superintendents all over the state of Illinois’ frustration with ISBE’s urgence to get us back into school by saying sit three feet apart, but our quarantine rules of six feet are still going to be the standard…Their positive intent is having a negative impact,” Rowe said.

While school districts across Illinois continue to wait for ISBE to update public health guidelines, the McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) urges those 12 years old and older to get vaccinated.

D158 families can sign up for the Huntley High School vaccination clinic through Walgreens at wagsoutreach.com/ss/HUN256992.

For questions regarding the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, individuals are to call Walgreens at 800-925-4733. Other questions can be directed to 847-659-6158.

MCDH is currently accepting walk-in vaccinations at its Woodstock clinic (2200 N. Seminary Ave. Annex A) and its Crystal Lake clinic (100 N. Virginia St.). These clinics will also be handing out Six Flags tickets to newly vaccinated individuals while supplies last.

Appointments for these clinics can be made at bit.ly/MCDHappt. For appointment assistance call 815-334-4045.