April 26, 2025 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

SJO board approves back to school plan

St. Joseph-Ogden High School has created a plan for the 2021-22 school year.


A plan that is subject to change.


“It could change tomorrow,” Superintendent Brian Brooks told the Board of Education. “Our number one emphasis has to be how we can get the kids back to normal with their education and make the school as safe as we possibly can. Our seniors are the only kids that have had a normal high school year at SJO. We want to try to take steps forward not backwards.”


For now, students at SJO will be in school for a full day with masks strongly recommended for unvaccinated students and staff but not required.


“Our position is that we strongly recommended it,” Brooks said. “It gives them options.”


Per guidance from the CDC and the Illinois Department of Public Health students will be required to wear masks on buses.


Brooks also stressed to the board that any type of harassment for wearing or not wearing a mask will not be tolerated. If a teacher wants to do an activity that would require students to be closer together the district will provide masks in each classroom for them to wear.


As far as quarantine, Brooks told the board that vaccinated students and staff will not have to quarantine unless they have symptoms. Unvaccinated students and staff who are not wearing wearing a mask will have to quarantine if they are within three feet of a student or staff member who tests positive with COVID-19. If they are wearing a mask the distance changes to six feet.


“That is a big difference and a big deal,” Brooks said. “We wanted that really bad last year. We can’t have everyone here and do six feet but we can have everyone here and have every classroom at three feet.”
Brooks stressed that the district can legally ask who is vaccinated and who is not.


“It is not a HIPAA violation,” he said.


Students will be allowed off campus lunch, there will be one way hallways and congregating around lockers will not be allowed. Parents will be required to symptom screen their students before sending them to school.
Brooks stressed that any student or staff member can wear a mask.


“There are just different rules if you get into a quarantine situation,” he said. “It won’t become an issue until someone has Covid and if the person is a close contact.”


Brooks said he understands there are families in the SJO district that have strong opinions over masking.


“We are trying to move forward educationally,” he said. “I feel like we are being consistent with trying to follow the CDC and IDPH guidelines. We are following those and at the same time people are getting a choice.”

in Schools
Banner
Related Posts

COVID cases not tied to schools

November 10, 2020

November 10, 2020

There have been no cases of COVID-19 traced to any of the schools in St. Joseph.   Grade school Superintendent...

Franzen finds freedom in music

October 4, 2019

October 4, 2019

Dakota Franzen is an inspiration. Marching Band Director Chuck Hess said Franzen’s efforts to be the best he can be...

SJO makes graduation plans for June

May 1, 2020

May 1, 2020

St. Joseph-Ogden High School is making plans for graduation to honor the Class of 2020. In a letter sent to...

SJO 4th quarter high honor roll

June 2, 2022

June 2, 2022

Our Honor Rolls are sponsored by Appl Sanitary. FreshmenAllinger, OliviaBeckett, EJBenoit, AudreyBonny, SarahBrown, LandonClampitt, MadisonDavenport, AerolynDietiker, EllaDitchfield, LukeEnnis, JacksonFranzen, SavannaFunk,...

Should children wear masks in school? Parents in St. Joseph weigh in

February 11, 2022

February 11, 2022

Earlier this week, St. Joseph Grade School, St. Joseph Middle School and St. Joseph-Ogden High School changed their decisions to...

Heritage Junior High Honor Roll

January 19, 2023

January 19, 2023

HONOR ROLL Heritage Junior High has compiled the list of honor roll students for the second quarter. Astudent must have...

5 questions with Mallory Wagner

April 16, 2023

April 16, 2023

Mallory Wagner plays Jay in St. Joseph-Ogden’s “The Descendents”. We asked Mallory five questions before the final show today at...

SJO fourth quarter honor roll

June 2, 2021

June 2, 2021

Freshmen Alewelt, EdwardAllinger, KadenArmstrong, AdenBott, MyaCarter, PaytonChahine, MayaDenhart, GarrettFrasca, JosephGoldenstein, GraceHayes, JayciMaroon, CarsonMcBride, SethSantiago, DanielWilson, SpencerWright, Mitchell Sophomores Adams, MadisonAlwes,...

A familiar face to lead PVO

February 25, 2019

February 25, 2019

Jeffrey Isenhower will start a new job on July 1, 2020. He will take over the Prairieview-Ogden superintendent for Vic...

St. Joseph Middle School 7th grade honor rolls

January 19, 2022

January 19, 2022

7th Grade High Honor Roll Ahart, Lillian Albrecht, Samuel Bello, Abigail Benoit, Zachary Burnett, Colin Clark, Elizabeth Crider, Abigail Dahl,...

Prairieview-Ogden First Quarter Honor Roll

October 31, 2022

October 31, 2022

7th Grade Highest Honors: (3.7-4.0) Tyler Bonny Casen Goff Gaby Gomez Royce Loschen Lane McKinney Airin Rash Korinne Travis Evelyn Valentine...

St. Joseph Middle School 8th grade high honor roll

April 7, 2022

April 7, 2022

ST. JOSEPH MIDDLE SCHOOL —  3rd Quarter, 2021-2022 8th Grade High Honor Roll Ames, Trevor Barrowman, Lexie Beyers, Kaitlyn Bird,...

St. Joseph Middle School 5th grade honor roll

November 14, 2023

November 14, 2023

FIRST NAME LAST NAME Sophia Albrecht Madison Beeler Abigail Bewley Kynleigh Blunier Connor Bowman Naomi Cavanaugh Konlee Christians Henry Cluver...

St. Joseph Middle School 8th Grade High Honor Roll

November 2, 2021

November 2, 2021

Ames, Trevor Beyers, Kaitlyn Bird, Emily Brooks, Addison Bytnar, Sara Campbell, Shelby Carlson, William Childers, Adelyn Coffey, Christopher Evans, Callie...

Heritage First Quarter Honor Roll

November 8, 2023

November 8, 2023

High Honors: Freshmen: Ashley Barkley, Nathan Bensyl, Lillie Bishop, Erika Bonilla, Addison Hopper, Lillian Perkins, Breanna Ploense, Clark Roland, Jayden...

Comments
Leave a Reply