After almost three quarters of the school year spent online-only, Danville High School will hold in-person classes starting today, but only for a smaller group.
High School Principal Tracy Cherry says that 120 freshmen will be returning to the building today. Starting on Monday, sophomores through seniors will also return for in-person learning. About 425 students in total will return to the classroom, while more than 800 high school students will continue to learn remotely.
District 118 Superintendent Dr. Alicia Geddis says that she has accommodated everyone who has wanted to return to in-person learning. She says there are several complicating factors based on state guidance. The district, for example, is not permitted to discontinue remote learning until the end of the school year, meaning parents who have concerns can still have their children learn online. Responding to a few parents’ wishes for in-person learning, Geddis says everyone who has wanted to return can now do so.
“We have also opened our doors to every person, every student, who wants to return to in-person,” she says. “We have accommodated everyone.”
Cherry noted that this year has been a stressful year for every student as well as all of the staff members. She says the brunt of it has been focused on this year’s senior class, who has had to endure their final school year in Danville without any in-person classes or school activities. Cherry says she is focused on making the last quarter to go as smoothly as possible.
“We need to put as much time and energy into making these last 10 weeks as memorable for them as possible, and for our freshmen who have never walked in this building,” she says.
Geddis says the district is on the 11th version of its return-to-school plan, since guidelines and circumstances have constantly changed. She says the district is recognizing the change from six feet to three feet of social distancing, which is the new guideline from the Centers for Disease Control.
