Each of Peoria County's 18 school districts will make their own decisions about how to handle coronavirus concerns.
That's according to Peoria County Regional Superintendent of Schools Beth Crider. She said district leaders first met to discuss coronavirus preparedness weeks ago, before there was even a case in the U.S.
They met again this week with public health officials. Crider said the regional office and public health departments can only provide information and recommendations to districts - not force them to close.
"In a situation like this, I know communities want a measurement. I know parents, especially of young children, want to be able to plan. But things are changing by the hour," she said.
Multiple districts have already announced plans to transition to e-learning if a local coronavirus outbreak makes face-to-face learning unsafe. Crider said districts have much to consider before making that decision.
"If they students that really shouldn't be on the computer or don't have a computer, what kind of packets of information or work are they going to send home; what will their attendance policy be; what will the amount of time that students that don't have internet access have to be able to make up the work," she said.
She said superintendents throughout the county are following the lead of Peoria health officials.
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