ROCHELLE — Rochelle Superintendent of Schools Jason Harper updated the District 231 Board of Education on its transition to remote learning during the monthly board meeting Tuesday evening. The district’s eight-week pause on in-person learning began Nov. 30.

Harper said the transition has progressed well, but that attendance remains an important issue moving forward. Harper said over 90 percent of all elementary-school students have been attending remote learning, while roughly 84 percent of middle-schoolers are attending. Harper said he expects a decision regarding a potential return to the district’s hybrid learning model to be made during the second week of January. The eight-week pause is set to end Jan. 18, 2021.

“I know that attendance is something the board, as well as our teachers and parents, is concerned about,” Harper said. “We’ve been pleasantly surprised and pleased with the strong attendance numbers we’ve seen and we want to keep those numbers as strong as possible. I’ve asked our secretaries and administrators to track their daily attendance on a spreadsheet. Our staff has also been reaching out and connecting with those who aren’t checking in.”

Tax Levy

The board approved its 2020 tax levy during Tuesday’s meeting. The levy will total $9.3 million, an increase of nearly 5 percent in local revenue from last year’s number.