Area school district limits attendance at sports events to curb COVID’s spread

BLOOMINGTON (25 NEWS) - Bloomington’s District 87 limiting attendance to high school and junior high sports events, the latest step in the district’s efforts to reduce COVID-19′s spread.

No tickets will be sold for BHS and BJHS sports events until further notice. Student athletes can invite up to four guests for each event.

“We sincerely hope that we will return to less restricted attendance policies in the future, District 87 Athletic Director Tony Bauman said in a Twitter post on Friday.

“The students’ section has been awesome, you will be missed,” Bauman said.

Faculty and staff absences this past week have been the highest since the start of the pandemic, Superintendent Barry Reilly told 25 News.

Tuesday, the district announced it was shortening high school and junior high classes through the end of next week to eliminate lunch breaks, when it’s harder to maintain social distancing.

The district also closed the Sarah Raymond School of Early Education through next week after Reilly said 180 of 290 preschoolers were absent last Monday,

It’s difficult for the three-and-four-year olds to wear masks and they can’t be vaccinated, so parents have been given at-home learning activities.

The district’s actions are all intended to avoid moving to remote learning, said Reilly. Administrators will reevaluate the various COVID mitigation measures in the coming days.