Districts to offer in-person, remote learning options

School districts across Lake County are planning to offer a mix of in-person and remote learning for the upcoming school year due to ongoing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. The following is a rundown of each district’s reopening plan.

Ronan Schools plan to offer in-person and remote learning options for the upcoming school year, and will follow Phase 2 guidelines for its reopening strategy.

“We have discussed giving parents a two week trial period to decide what they feel is in their child’s best interest, in-person or remote learning,” stated Superintendent Mark Johnston in a message on the district website.

A survey was expected to go out to parents last week asking about their preference for in-person or remote learning.

Under the Phase 2 guidelines, grades 6th through 12th, will be using a A/B block schedule, which provides four classes a day and then four different classes the next day.

“This allows us to keep groups of students together longer, which could help with contact-tracing if necessary,” Johnston noted, adding that blocks also eliminate students attending seven different periods with seven different groups of students and seven different teachers during a given day.

In grades K-4, Ronan Schools will be following the governor’s and CDC’s guidance by having groups no larger than 50.

“Our plan is to keep classes together,” Johnston stated. “For example, two first grades would share space together on the playground, use the same doors to enter and leave the building. They would also travel together to lunch maintaining the expected 3 to 6 feet of separation.”

Parents will be encouraged to provide their child with a mask or face shield.

Face coverings “must be worn in areas where social distancing of 3 feet cannot be maintained” and all students must have a face covering to get on a bus.

However, parents are encouraged to transport students whenever it is feasible.

Hallway traffic will be one-way on half of each hallway.

“We understand there will be a substantial learning curve, but hopefully through education we can teach all of our students the importance of masks,” Johnston said.

Sanitizer stations will be installed throughout the buildings and on the buses, and all schools will have a Protexus sprayer.

If a student is exposed to COVID-19, they may not return to school until they have been cleared by a health care professional. If a student exhibits symptoms at school, they will be isolated until a parent or guardian can be notified.

All on-site students will be dismissed by 2:15 p.m., which will allow time for teachers to work with remote learning students.

“As a District, we understand there will be a percentage of our population who will prefer remote learning, for various reasons.

With this in mind, we are looking at ways to make this an effective means of education for your child,” Johnston said.

Students who choose remote learning will receive an actual grade. There will not be a pass/fail option.

Johnston said the district is exploring options for some type of video instruction. Some Chromebooks will be available for student check-out.

Teachers will be trained on Google Classroom options for sharing lessons.

Polson Schools reopening plan will also offer both remote and in-person learning options, following Phase 2 guidelines.

A so-called “hybrid model” will be used for the first month of the school year, which includes an A Day & B Day schedule to allow for smaller class sizes. Students with the last name starting with A-K will attend in-class instruction primarily on Mondays and Tuesdays and will be learning remotely Wednesday to Friday. Students with the last name starting with L-Z will attend in-class instruction primarily on Wednesday and Thursday and will be learning remotely Monday, Tuesday and Friday.

The district hopes to return to full in-class participation at the beginning of October.

Under Phase 2 guidelines, face coverings will be required for students and staff “when in the presence of others.”

Students who plan to continue with remote learning need to register online at the districts website.

Students choosing remote learning will only be allowed to return back to in-person instruction at the start of the second quarter in November. High school students, however, can do remote learning and face-to-face instruction if scheduling allows.

Traditional grading practices will be used and reported on report cards and transcripts.

In a district survey sent to parents, about 38% indicated that they preferred in-person learning for their child; 34% preferred a hybrid model; and 27% expected to continue with distance learning.

In a school staff survey, 39% indicated that they were “somewhat worried” about the virus; 27% said they were “very worried” and 11% said “extremely worried.” About 7% were “not worried at all” and 16% “not so worried.”

St. Ignatius schools on Monday updated its plans for the upcoming school year based upon four phases.

“As a community, we need to be flexible and able to rotate from plan to plan fluently as situations change,” said Superintendent Jason Sargent. “We have surveyed staff and parents to get an idea of where everyone is at and as expected there are many mixed feelings across the board. We do not want to lose students and we will find a way to serve every student in our district to meet the educational needs of all students.”

Under Phase 2, the school will offer both in-person and remote learning options. In-person instruction would follow a block schedule with ‘A’ and ‘B’ days Monday through Thursday. Fridays will be optional.

Masks will be provided and encouraged to wear.

Parents are asked to call between Aug. 10-19 to let the school know if their child will be learning remotely or if they plan to attend in-person instruction.

Arlee Schools are following a similar approach to St. Ignatius Schools, with options for in-person and remote learning.

Under Phase 2, schools will be open Monday through Thursday for direct in-person instruction.

Grades 7th through 12th, will be using a block schedule, which provides four classes a day. Grades K-6 we limit groups to no larger than 50, and two classes would be paired together creating a cohort.

Parents will be encouraged to provide their child with a mask or face shield. All students must have a face covering to get on a bus.

The district has hired a school nurse to be on site, and all schools will have an electro-static sprayer. Sanitizer stations will be installed throughout the buildings and on the buses.