Lawrence County CUSD 20

All Unit 20 schools will dismiss one hour early tomorrow (Thursday, 2/17) and will be closed Friday, 2/18 for Parent-teacher conferences. Monday, February 21st, the district is closed to observe President's Day.

Tonight's LHS senior night boys' basketball game will begin at 6:15 with the JV game, there will NOT be a freshman game as originally scheduled.

CUSD #20 Community, After much debate and consideration, all CUSD #20 buildings will become mask optional rather than mask required, effective immediately. This change is based on a variety of factors, including a statement issued by Governor Pritzker yesterday and our currently declining Covid numbers in the county as well as the school, that the Board of Education considered prior to making their decision. Our community informational meeting scheduled for tonight at 7:00 at the LHS auditorium is still on for this evening. I encourage everyone to attend to learn more about the process that the Board went through to come to these decisions and to get answers to any further questions. Our priority has always been and will continue to be student and staff safety. We ask that students, staff, and community members remain sensitive to those in our school who are immunocompromised or otherwise at risk for complication if they contract COVID-19. Anyone who wishes to continue the practice of indoor masking will be free to do so without judgment. As always if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via phone or email, ddaugherty@cusd20.net Sincerely, Doug Daugherty, Superintendent Lawrence County CUSD #20

CUSD #20 Community, We want to thank you for your patience and understanding the last couple years during the ever changing and confusing Covid guideline directions from the state. As I am sure you are aware, our district has continued the mask mandate. The decision to remain on the mask mandate was a tough decision that was made after the ruling from the court case in Springfield on February 4th. While this ruling only affects those schools in the lawsuit, the appeal case by the state will have implications for all schools. I want to assure everyone that board members and myself considered several factors in determining the course of action that we would take. The board members and myself struggled with this decision. I believe everyone agrees, we just want to go back to normal. While we recognize we all have varying opinions on the best path forward for the students, teachers and staff of Unit 20; we ask for your continued patience and understanding as we navigate the ever changing information given to us from various sources. I presented a lot of information to the board members that I obtained through two separate webinars on Sunday afternoon that dealt with the mask mandate issue. One being our school law firm (Robbins Schwartz) as well as the IASA (Illinois Association of School Administrators), both legal organizations, who recommended waiting for the appeal process before making changes. That is the position the board has taken while the appeal process takes place. According to most sources, this process will be done within a matter of days. Therefore, the apparel ruling should occur prior to our regular board meeting on Thursday, February 17th. At that meeting, we will reevaluate the situation based on all of the information that we have received. Any changes to our policy can be made at that time. Prior to the Thursday, February 17th board meeting at 7:00 at the LHS cafeteria, the public is invited to an informational meeting on Thursday, February 10th at 7:00 at the LHS auditorium. This is ONLY an informational meeting, NOT a board meeting. No vote will be taken on any issue. This is just a chance for the public to gather information and respectfully let their opinions be heard. Again, thank you for your continued support and patience as we continue to monitor this unprecedented situation and make informed decisions for our students and staff of Unit #20. Sincerely, Doug Daugherty, Superintendent Lawrence County CUSD #20

CUSD #20 community, On Friday, February 4, 2022, the Sangamon County Circuit Court granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) affecting certain school districts and specific individuals in those districts. The TRO temporarily suspended enforcement of mask mandates for students and exclusion for asymptomatic close contacts. Due to a separate ruling limiting the scope of the litigation, the TRO applies only to the parties of the lawsuit. Our District was not a party to that case, and therefore the TRO does not apply to our District. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our District has been committed to maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment for our students and staff. In furtherance of that commitment and because we are not a party to the pending litigation, the District is maintaining its COVID-19 mitigation measures and protocols. Therefore, there will be no changes in the District’s requirements at this time. We will continue to require masking for everyone while indoors at school and while on school transportation, and follow our current practice for exclusion of individuals who are close contacts. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we continue to prioritize student and staff health and safety while providing in-person learning. Again, at this time, masks will continue to be mandatory in CUSD #20 school buildings as well as on the buses. However, the court decision is currently being appealed. Based on the higher courts ruling, the school board will reevaluate the decision. In addition, if the number of cases in the county declines, the Board will explore the option of going mask optional. If you have any questions, please contact me at school or through email, help@cusd20.net. Sincerely, Doug Daugherty, Superintendent Lawrence County CUSD #20

Tomorrow’s LHS boys’ basketball game vs Rivet has been canceled.

Tonight’s LHS boys’ basketball game at Olney has been postponed

CUSD #20 will NOT be in session tomorrow, Friday, February 4th.

Tonight’s LHS girls’ basketball game at Paris has been canceled. Game is rescheduled for Saturday, February 5th at 2:00, in Paris.

CUSD #20 will NOT be in session tomorrow, Thursday, February 3rd.

CUSD #20 schools will NOT be in session today, Wednesday, February 2nd.

Tonight's boys' basketball game against Cisne will be varsity only, starting at 7:00 at the LHS gym.

As I am sure you are aware, the weather forecast has snow and/or ice heading our way this week. I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone of a few important issues that we need to remember for the safety of our school students. First, please make sure your student is dressed appropriately for the weather. Students at Parkside will go outside on days that the weather isn’t too extreme. Fresh air and a chance to run around are an important part of the student’s day, but they need to be dressed appropriately. Remember too, that the doors at each building don’t open until 7:30, so please do not drop your child(ren) off any earlier than necessary. If we get ice and/or snow this winter, please use extra caution around students walking to school, bus stops, and the school building. Our custodians do a great job in clearing parking lots and sidewalks, but please give them extra room to do their job. In the event of inclement weather, I ask that you listen for announcements on the radio, check the school’s Facebook page, or wait for the text message rather than calling the school to ask if there will be an early dismissal. The office secretaries are busy trying to contact parents to make arrangements for students. If people are calling to inquire about school dismissal times, the phone lines are tied up and we can’t make the necessary arrangements for our students. Also, I can assure you that calling the school’s office to complain about school not being dismissed will not be beneficial for anyone. Snow day cancellations are often a topic of much debate. The decision to have school or to cancel school is not something that any superintendent takes lightly. Prior to any winter storm reaching the area, I am busy looking at weather forecasts and gathering important information from as many trusted sources as possible. I am in contact with other area superintendents discussing the weather often late into the night and early in the mornings once the snow and/or ice arrives. I am also in contact with individuals throughout the district checking on their road conditions, as well as driving the roads myself to assess their condition. The decision to cancel or to be in session is not an easy one. It is an important part of my job and one I take very seriously. I fully understand that when the decision to not have school can be made the night before, it is easier on everyone---students, parents, teachers, cooks, bus drivers, etc. However, there are times that this decision cannot be made until the early morning hours. The decision to have school is NEVER decided the night before. Even with the best weather technology available, no one can predict what will happen over night with the temperature, snow, ice, or wind. Once the decision is made to cancel school, I will post it on the school Facebook page, send out a text message, and notify WAKO Radio, and WTHI. If you see any school announcements regarding snow days or early dismissals on Facebook, please make sure they are coming from a reliable source. If you have questions or concerns, feel free to contact me through email (ddaugherty@cusd20.net) or call the Unit Office at 943-2326. Sincerely, Doug Daugherty, Superintendent

Calendar change—This Friday, February 4, CUSD #20 schools will dismiss 2 hours early.

Tonight's LHS boys' varsity basketball game against Robinson has been canceled.

Monday's Parkview Junior High volleyball game has been canceled.

Unit 20 Schools will be closed Monday, January 17th for Martin Luther King, Jr Day.

Tomorrow night’s LHS boys’ basketball game at Newton has been canceled.

Tonight's fresh/soph boys' basketball game at Robinson has been canceled.

Reminder---tonight's Parkview 7th/8th grade boys' basketball game vs Olney has been canceled.