February 11, 2025
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La Salle Elementary approves reopening plan; new tests may allow students to stay in-person

School will implement SHIELD testing for possible test-to-stay scenarios

By Jayce Eustice

Faculty, staff and students take part in the free on-campus COVID-19 walk-up testing sites on campus. The sites administer an innovative saliva-based test, a process developed by the university’s COVID-19 SHIELD: Target, Test, Tell team. Unlike conventional nasal testing, saliva samples are collected non-invasively, without requiring skilled health care workers. The university started by opening two testing sites: a tent site at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center and an indoor site at State Farm Center. More than a dozen on-campus sites will be added, with a goal to administer 10,000 tests per day by the first day of classes Aug. 24. (Fred Zwicky)

The La Salle Elementary School District approved its 2021-2022 reopening plan, aiming to return all students and staff to an in-person environment that promotes safety and wellness standards while keeping learning at the forefront.

New testing methods may be able to keep students in school when they have been close contacts of someone confirmed with COVID-19.

If someone is identified as a close contact, the La Salle County Health Department may choose to implement one of four options for quarantine. The first option is a standard quarantine at home for 14 days.

The second option is a quarantine at home for 10 days and the student may return to school after 10 days if no symptoms have developed under daily monitoring. This method does not require a test.

The third option is a quarantine period of seven days if no symptoms develop during monitoring and the individual has a negative diagnostic test collected within 48 hours of Day 7.

The final option the school plans to utilize will be the SHIELD saliva-based testing that would require tests on days one, three, five and seven of the close contact. This could allow an individual to remain at school as long as the tests remain negative and no symptoms develop.

The SHIELD testing method can only be utilized by schools where a mandatory mask mandate is in place. La Salle Elementary’s approved plan includes a mask mandate in compliance with Gov. JB Pritzker’s executive order.

The board approved its plan Tuesday.

Through multiple revisions, the plan was developed in accordance with the guidance and regulations established by the Illinois State Board of Education, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Illinois Department of Public Health and La Salle County Health Department.

While the plan was unanimously approved by the board, final wording and proofing will be done before the plan is once again sent out to parents, staff and the district’s website. The school district will continue to listen and adhere to health and safety guidelines as they become available.

Remote learning is only allowed during narrowly-defined instances through ISBE and requires a student to be under a quarantine identified by the local health department or qualify for homebound instruction under circumstances outlined in the school code.

The district plans to adhere to the recommended social distancing guidelines of three to six feet when possible. The school hopes this will limit the amount of individuals that may need to be quarantined due to close contact.

Certain situations where an individual would not be required to wear a mask include but are not limited to a person with a disability, when one is eating, when using a face shield, when staff is alone in classrooms with the door closed, people who have trouble breathing, among other considerations.

The school district will continue to monitor and assess the reopening plan. Administrators and the board may determine to increase or decrease the guidelines in the future depending on these policies and local and internal metrics on virus spread.