When the CDC recently announced shortened quarantine periods for exposures to COVID, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) announced they would soon be announcing their guidance to fall in line with the CDC.

That has been several days and Illinois school leaders are growing impatient with the lack of guidance coming their way, so many are taking it upon themselves to adopt the guidance independent of ISBE. Among them is Bement Schools and on the WHOW Morning Show Tuesday, Superintendent Dr. Sheila Greenwood told Regional Radio this is another frustration in the overall situation surrounding COVID.

School leaders have been worried about the response from parents at the potential of having to continue to quarantine kids longer than the recommended guidelines from the CDC due to the slow response from ISBE. Dr. Greenwood credits her community for its continued patience and support of the district through everything of the last 20-plus months.

Dr. Greenwood calls this is a small step towards districts re-claiming local control as the State of Illinois' hold on the policies of schools begins to slowly splinter. 

Monticello and Clinton are among other districts in central Illinois that are implementing the new CDC guidance independent of direction from the State of Illinois.