Lockport Township High School District 205 unveils reopening plan

The Lockport Township High School District 205 Board of Education approved a plan to reopen this year with a combination of in-person and remote learning.

The board unanimously voted for the plan at its July 20 meeting, according to a news release.

“It is apparent that COVID-19 is here and will be among us for quite some time," LTHS Superintendent Robert McBride said in the release. "Schools, like other organizations, will have to be leaders in terms of how to live, learn, and grow despite the challenges this disease presents. Our goal is to put a high priority on safety so that we can put an equally high priority on learning.”

The district's hybrid model aligns with the Illinois State Board of Education guidelines with an emphasis on a return to in-person learning. With almost 3,000 students at the district's east campus and 1,000 students at the central campus, the plan's remote learning days will reduce the number of students in school to meet safety parameters.

Remote learning will "differ significantly" from the format used in the spring during the onset of the pandemic which forced schools to close, according to the release. Instruction in the fall will support in-person learning with "strengthened accountability and participation exceptions."

Administrators held several virtual town hall meetings with parents and staff to prepare the reopening plan.

The district published the plan on its website, lths.org. Families are encouraged to visit the website frequently for updates.