As families across Illinois cope with adapting to life and learning during the Covid-19 epidemic, we were contacted by a group of parents and community members in Waukegan who are going through a particularly difficult struggle with their district.
Waukegan CUSD 60, with over 10,000 students from low-income families, only prepared 11,400 meals for the week of March 31-April 3. The meals only lasted three days, leaving many families without options for the rest of the week. In addition, the district was unprepared for the number of families with no or limited internet who need paper learning packets to participate in the district's remote learning program.
We joined the Chicago Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights in signing a letter sent to the Superintendent and School Board, as well as the Mayor of Waukegan. You can read the letter here to find out more about the situation.
After the parents sent the letter, the school district announced they would begin a mobile food delivery program, but community members have reservations about the mobile delivery program because the stops may be too short, and it could encourage people to congregate while they wait for the delivery truck. In addition, the district is still only providing families with the option of downloading learning materials from the district website.
Tomorrow, April 7, at 7pm, the Waukegan Board of Ed will hold a special meeting that can be joined remotely (details here.) You can submit written comment via email or sign up to speak here.
You can also call District 60 at (224) 303-1000 or email Superintendent Theresa Plascencia at [email protected] to ask that the district serve all families and ensure they are receiving the necessities for an appropriate education for their children during this difficult time.
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