Recent Guidance
Expired Guidelines
Late on February 17, an appellate court reviewing a downstate court ruling decided that Governor JB Pritzker's emergency powers had expired and all of his COVID guidelines were no longer in effect. As a result, Fenton announced that the use of face coverings are strongly recommended but no longer required as of Tuesday, February 22.
Revised Isolation and Quarantine Guidelines
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released updated school guidance to reflect shorter isolation and quarantine times, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Effective Tuesday January 11, 2022, the isolation and quarantine period for students and staff members sick with COVID-19 or considered a close contact has been reduced to five days instead of ten days.
Please do not come to school unless you have been contacted and cleared by our Fenton Health Team.
This new guidance does not change the State of Illinois’ mask requirement for anyone inside school buildings. The Governor’s indoor mask mandate for school is still in effect until further notice.
Illinois' School Employee Mandate
Governor Pritzker issued an executive order on August 26, 2021 requiring all educational employees to be vaccinated or begin weekly testing by September 5. Local health departments are allowed to require more frequent testing of unvaccinated school employees.
Update: On September 3, 2021 the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the compliance timeline for school personnel to be vaccinated for COVID-19 or submit to weekly COVID-19 testing has been extended until September 19.
Full In-Person Learning Fall 2021
The Illinois State Board of Education voted in May to send most-or-all students into their traditional classrooms for the 2021-22 school year and limit remote learning options. Much of this push is due to the availability of vaccines and the success of numerous precautionary measures.
What does it mean for Fenton? FHS will open its door in the fall fully in-person, which includes free breakfast and lunches at school.
On July 27th, 2021 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new guidance for schools for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year, which has been adopted by the IDPH. Fenton will follow these guidelines as the safety of our students is our utmost priority. Remember, this is a fluid situation and subject to change, but here are some important takeaways from the guidance:
- CDC is recommending universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.
- Masks do not need to be worn outdoors.
- Maintain at least 3 feet of physical distance when possible
Furthermore, Governor JB Pritzker issued a mandate on August 4th requiring the use of masks in all Illinois schools regardless of vaccination status.