COVID numbers both locally and statewide are diminishing. Governor JB Pritzker is said to be contemplating easing restrictions further as soon as this week. Tuesday night, the Clinton Board of Education discussed allowing students to return to the classroom early. 

The Board of Education allowed students to return from remote learning to in-person learning at the turn of the semester in January and have previously discussed allowing students to return ahead of that but no such action was taken.

The discussion came back up Tuesday night as Board Secretary Sondra Baker and Chris Hammer stated their case to the Board.

Tammie Ennis agreed with Hammer about the perception of COVID now versus back in the fall. She believes even though there are only two-and-a-half months of the school year left, that is a big deal to a student.

But School Board President Dan Matthews balked at the idea of allowing kids back. While he agrees the best place for kids to be is in the classroom, he believes they need to stick to the policy they put in place. He also points to Tuesday night's approval of summer school as a reason to stick to the policy.

Other considerations brought up during the discussion were the uncertainty of the fall months when COVID began its second spike. Additionally, the costs of the remote learning program have been paid for by the district for all students through each semester.

The Board of Education approved summer school plans for each building in the district Tuesday night. Last week, principals of each building joined the WHOW Morning Show discussing their plans for summer school and we'll have more on those this week and next on Regional Radio News.