Updated May 18, 2020 6:05pm We will continue to update this webpage as soon as we can with information.

 A message to families from State Senator Andy Manar, 48th District

April 17, 2020

Dear DPS Family:

The news we were anticipating has just come in, and we wanted to make you aware of it as soon as possible. Governor Pritzker announced this afternoon, schools across Illinois will stay closed through the end of the school year, as a precaution due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But we want you to know – just because our school buildings are closed does not mean that school is over. DPS educators continue to go above and beyond to ensure our students have the resources and information they need to continue learning while at home. Our teachers and staff have done an incredible job navigating this unprecedented time, and we are committed to continuing to support our students' educational needs.

We know you will have many questions about what this new order means for our staff and families – we will have those answers in the coming days and we appreciate your patience and support as we work through these challenging times. We are greatly appreciative of the entire DPS community, as you continue to demonstrate remarkable resolve.

Thank you all for the caring support of our students, staff, families, and community. #DPSFamily #DPSProud

Sincerely,

Dr. Paul Fregeau

Superintendent, Decatur Public Schools

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The health, safety and well-being of our students and staff are our top priorities at Decatur Public Schools. With the recently elevated discussion regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the news, we want to take a moment to reinforce preventive safety measures and reference our process and communications.

First, it is important to remember that at this time, there is a growing number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States. As a school district, we are closely monitoring the situation and following guidance from the Macon County Health Department, the Illinois Department of Public Health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Illinois State Board of Education. We encourage our students, staff and families to be mindful of key preventive measures for any illness. The CDC offers some tips on its website that can be useful in avoiding the spread of coronavirus and other illnesses as well as guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education websites. We recommend the community to be diligent and educate yourselves with information from credible sources. We all play a role in reducing the likelihood of illness in our school-community. We encourage everyone to practice good habits including:

• Wash your hands regularly, especially after using the restroom and before preparing or consuming food. Using soap and hot water wash for about 20 seconds. Be sure to also wash your fingertips. 
• Avoid coughing or sneezing into your hands or in the air. Always try to cough or sneeze into a tissue, and then throw the tissue away. If you don't have a tissue, cough/sneeze into your arm.
• As much as you can, avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose.
• If our students or staff is feeling sick, please keep them home from school. Allow them some time to feel better so that they do not risk infecting others.