At last evening’s Joliet Public Schools District 86 Board of School Inspectors meeting, Superintendent Dr. Theresa Rouse reviewed first trimester mid-point data with the school board, including parent/employee survey results and COVID-19 data in Region 7 (Will and Kankakee Counties), Will County, and individual zip code areas of Joliet. Based on the current positivity rates, new cases in Joliet and the current rise of cases among children, the board unanimously approved Dr. Rouse’s recommendation to keep District 86 students in fully remote learning until at least the middle of January.

In addition to approving the continuation of remote learning, the school board voted to change November 23 rd from a student attendance day to a staff remote learning planning day. Students will not participate in remote learning on this day. Virtual parent/teacher conferences will take place that afternoon and early evening.

Free grab-and-go meals for all children 18 years and younger will continue on Mondays and Thursdays during remote learning. The meals are available for contactless curbside pick-up at Dirksen, Hufford, and Washington Junior High Schools from 6:30-7:30 a.m., from 10 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at Dirksen, Gompers, Hufford, and Washington Junior High Schools, and between 4:30-6 p.m. at Gompers Junior High School.