#301 Updates

TCHS REMOTE LEARNING OCT 4-8TH, 2021

September 30, 2021

I am sure you have heard that our positive cases and our quarantine numbers at TCHS have risen. 20% of our TCHS students are in quarantine at this moment. TCHS is considered an outbreak by state guidelines. Working in conjunction with the Douglas County Health Department, the decision has been made to put Tuscola High School on an adaptive pause.

What does this mean? It means the TCHS Students will be learning via Remote Learning next week. TCHS will send out information on Friday and present the expectations for students. In-person learning for TCHS will resume on October 12.

North Ward and East Prairie students will continue with in-person learning next week. 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1st will be an early dismissal for North Ward, East Prairie, and TCHS. The school will dismiss at 1:30. 

The Fall play will be postponed to 10/15, 10/16, and 10/17. 

I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause households. We will be making sure TCHS is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. 

Have a great day!

Tuscola School Board Open Seat

August 24, 2021 – Due to board member Levi Miller moving out of the district, the Tuscola School Board has an open seat to fill. The Board of Education is elected utilizing Township and Range. Each Township and Range can have up to three members elected from it. Township 16N Range 8E has three members elected to the current school board. This Township and Range is located North of Route 36 to the district boundaries. There are two exceptions to this statement. If you live North of Route 36 and West of 600E or East of 1200E, you are not in Township 16 N Range 8 E. If you live south of Route 36, you will be eligible to apply for the open seat.

If you are not sure what Township and Range you are registered in, please call the Douglas County Clerk and Recorder at 217-253-2411.

QUALIFICATIONS:
a. United States Citizen
b. Be at least 18 years of age
c. A resident of Illinois and the District for at least 1 year immediately preceding the appointment
d. Be a registered voter
e. Not a child sex offender
f. Not hold another incompatible public office
g. Not have a prohibited interest in any contract with the District
h. Not be a school trustee
i. Not hold certain types of prohibited State or Federal Employment

HOW TO APPLY:
Individuals interested in applying should submit a letter highlighting their qualifications and indicating why they would want to serve on the Tuscola CUSD 301 School Board.

DEADLINE AND INTERVIEW:
The deadline to submit a letter of interest is September 7.
Interviews will be set for a later date.

Please submit your letter to:
Tuscola CUSD 301
Superintendent Gary Alexander
409 S. Prairie
Tuscola, Il 61953

You may also email your letter to Gary Alexander at alexanderg@cusd301.org Please put Tuscola Board Application in the subject line.

One to One Chromebooks

July 21, 2021 – Hello. I cannot believe school starts in 27 days for students! Tuscola CUSD 301 has purchased enough Chromebooks to give each student a Chromebook to use throughout the school year. We are excited about the opportunities this will create for the teaching and learning process. There will be a $30 fee added this year. This fee covers the cost of the warranty if the Chromebook is damaged. Students will also be able to bring their personal devices to school instead of utilizing a school-issued Chromebook. I have included the policy the board approved.

Tuscola CUSD #301 1:1 Policy and Procedures

Each student and parent will need to sign this policy even if you do not utilize the school-issued Chromebook.

Online registration is happening now! Teacherease has had problems when individuals try to use their mobile devices to register. If you register online, it is best to use a computer. Online registration will be available until August 6. Each building will hold registration on August 10 from 8 am to 6 pm. Have a great day!

Sincerely,
Gary Alexander

Plan for Safe Return to School

July 19, 2021 – Good Afternoon,

I have attached the Tuscola CUSD 301 DRAFT Plan for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction. This plan follows CDC guidance adopted by the Illinois Department of Public Health. There is a link at the end of the document, that you may comment on the plan. As we know from last year, guidelines can change very quickly. We will adapt as the guidelines change and communicate with you any necessary adjustments to this plan. The Tuscola CUSD 301 Board will vote on this plan at their July 27 meeting. 

Comments on the plan can be submitted HERE until July 23 at 2:00 pm.

A few areas that always bring about discussion are masks, self-certification, remote learning, and quarantine. I will give a brief overview of each. Detailed information is in the attached plan. 

Masks- The CDC recommends mask use for those who are not vaccinated indoors. Tuscola CUSD 301 will do the same. We recommend mask use for those who are not vaccinated indoors. Each household will need to decide what is best for their situation. 

Self-Certification- Will families be required to continue to daily self check their child(ren) for symptoms? Yes. But at this time, Tuscola will not require the daily reporting form that was in place last year. Even so, let’s continue to be strict in keeping sick students home

Remote Learning- Remote instruction will only be made available for non-vaccinated or vaccine ineligible students who are under quarantine as directed by the local health department or the Illinois Department of Public Health, per the Illinois State Board of Education.

Quarantine- Students and staff who are not fully vaccinated should quarantine after recent exposure to someone with COVID-19.  Fully vaccinated people who were in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 but does NOT have COVID-19 symptoms do not need to quarantine or be tested. Quarantine decisions will be made and communicated by Douglas County Health Department officials.

Thank you for looking through our Draft plan. Have a great day!

Sincerely,

Gary Alexander, Superintendent

Tuscola CUSD #301

Click on the image below to view the plan.

May 24, 2021

I am writing to let you know we were informed by the Douglas County Health Department today that an individual at East Prairie has tested positive. The Douglas County Health Department andEast Prairie will contact you if your child is considered a close contact.

The last week of student attendance is upon us. This has been a year for overcoming obstacles placed in front of us. I am = very proud of how the school year has gone. Our students, staff, parents, and community met a challenge head-on and overcame it. The efforts of everyone involved this year should be applauded. I want to congratulate the Class of 2021 and wish them the best of luck.

I hope everyone enjoys their summer break. As we slowly move to normal, remember to stay connected with people you care about, reach out to those you have not been able to connect with and take time for yourself. This year has taught each of us that perseverance will overcome all obstacles. Continue to move forward and enjoy each day!

Sincerely,

Gary Alexander, Superintendent

Tuscola CUSD #301

April 28, 2021

April 28, 2021 – Good Afternoon,

The school board approved June 1 as Remote Learning Plan Day. The last day for student attendance will be May 28. We would like to thank Cathy Mannen, Rick Quinn, and Martin Marx for their service to the Tuscola Board of Education. We appreciate the dedication they have shown to the students and staff of the district. We would like to welcome Wade Wilcox and Levi Miller to the Tuscola Board of Education. We appreciate their willingness to serve on the Board of Education. The Tuscola School Board will be appointing one school board member. Information on how to apply for this appointment will be sent out by Friday.

I attended a meeting last week hosted by the Mattoon School District. The Mattoon School District will be purchasing the Illinois Consolidated Building on Charleston Ave. in Mattoon. Their plan is to convert the building into a Regional Innovation Center. Students from the region will be able to attend the Regional Innovation Center to learn about Childcare, Technology and Innovation, HVAC and Green Energy, Manufacturing and Construction Trades, Leadership and Business, and Culinary Arts and Hospitality. The Mattoon School District is in the early planning stages of this project. They want a regional perspective to make this the best possible program for all students in the region. If you have a child in grades 6-12, please take a few minutes to fill out the parent component, Mattoon would greatly appreciate it. You can copy and paste the following URL into Google to complete the survey: https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSfGtoKbPXiLr0…/viewform

It is hard to believe we only have a month of the 20-21 School Year left. Great job Tuscola! This community has stepped up and helped the school district have a successful year. Let’s finish strong and look forward to a great summer!

Sincerely, Gary Alexander

April 19, 2021

I am writing to let you know we were informed by the Douglas County Health Department that an individual at North Ward has tested positive. The Douglas County Health Department and North Ward will contact you if your child is considered a close contact. My last letter to inform the district of a positive individual was sent on March 8. The main reason we have had a small number of cases is the work put forth by every individual in the
district and the community. It has been a challenging year. Everyone involved impresses me with their resilience.

We are in the home stretch of the school year. I am encouraging everyone to continue to be diligent with the COVID guidelines. The hard work of many has allowed our students to be in school. My hope is the hard work pays off and next Fall we are back to normal or closer to normal than we are now. It is nice to be able to attend extracurricular activities. Watching our students in their activities is very rewarding. I have been impressed with how they have adapted to the guidelines.

I want to encourage our students to finish the year strong. During this challenging year, you have overcome many obstacles. Keep working hard and communicate with your teachers and your parents when you are faced with an obstacle. These individuals can help you overcome any obstacle you are facing. Thank you Tuscola CUSD 301 Community. We are lucky to live in an outstanding community.

Sincerely,
Gary Alexander, Superintendent
Tuscola CUSD #301

March 8, 2021

Dear Tuscola CUSD #301 Families and Staff: This letter is to inform you that an individual at TCHS tested positive for COVID-19. You will be notified if your child is considered a close contact. The health and safety of the Tuscola Community Unit School District and staff will remain our highest priority, and we recognize the uncertainty and concerns regarding the continually evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. We are following guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health and Illinois State Board of Education, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as the Douglas County Health Department for best practices and procedures to protect the health of our students and staff. To prevent further spread of the disease, Tuscola Community Unit School District 301 is taking the following steps:

Placing staff members and students who are identified as having prolonged close contact to the COVID-19 case(s) in quarantine for 14 days. Close contacts should also receive a separate notification from the Douglas County Health Department.

Ongoing monitoring of students and staff for signs and symptoms of illness and evaluation of illness reports to promptly identify possibility community spread.

Conducting deep cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfection of areas impacted by potential exposure to the COVID-19 virus.

As always, everyone should monitor their health and stay home if they develop symptoms. Sick persons should contact their health care provider to determine if testing is necessary. Anyone who develops severe symptoms should seek medical care immediately. If your child has had close contact with a known case of COVID-19, keep the child at home and notify your primary healthcare provider, Tuscola Community Unit School District 301, and the Douglas County Health Department. Please refer to the COVID-19 Exclusion Guidance. We are steadfastly committed to providing your child and our staff with a safe and healthy learning environment. As we receive more information from the Department of Public Health and other entities, we will implement additional information. Thank you for your patience, understanding, and ongoing cooperation with our COVID-19 prevention policies and procedures.

Sincerely,  

Gary M. Alexander, Superintendent Tuscola CUSD #301

409 S. PrairieTuscola, IL 61953217-253-4241