A phased-in re-entry plan starting in January was approved at the Tuesday night Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Education meeting.
The district’s students currently are all learning remotely. It will be a few more months of remote learning for Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools students and teachers.
The new plan phases in students returning on different weeks in the spring semester. It is a hybrid plan, with an option available for parents, if they want their children to remain in remote learning.
Under the plan, which was approved 7-0, school staff would return to classrooms on Monday, Jan. 4.
Then early childhood through second grade students would return to to hybrid learning on Tuesday, Jan. 19.
Third grade through 12th grade students would return to hybrid learning on Monday, Jan. 25.
Special education students and staff may return earlier than other students.
Also, according to a school district spokesman, parents can opt out and their students could continue with remote learning.
The school district presented the reopening plan earlier this year, but because of the number of COVID-19 cases in Wyandotte County, the decision was delayed to return to the classroom earlier.
The district administration originally proposed that staff would return on Nov. 9, but board member Stacy Yeager suggested it be moved to Jan. 4, after the holidays.
District officials said because of the number of COVID-19 cases in the community, they were not able to return to school in the second quarter. The Jan. 4 return date will be subject to the case numbers and gating criteria at that time.
On Tuesday night, the board considered several plans from administrators, including:
• Continuing with the current remote learning plan;
• Hybrid instruction or remote learning, including in-person learning at 50 percent capacity, phasing in students at different levels;
• Hybrid instruction or remote learning for early childhood through 12th grade, returning to in-person or remote learning; and
• All in-person learning model.
Earlier this year, the school board had decided to delay the opening of school until after Labor Day and spend the first nine weeks in remote learning. Tonight’s decision means the district will go back to in-person hybrid learning after about two quarters.
According to a spokesman, the revised plan presents more framework and options for a hybrid model and a contingency plan for each option to help mitigate the spread of the virus.
The plans include wearing masks, illness screens and other hygiene and health measures, and the plan also has guidance for transportation.
“We understand the amount of concern and uncertainty that still remains for some parents, teachers and the school community. There is also an urgency for some parents to have their child return to the classroom,” said Dr. Alicia Miguel, interim superintendent. “We are taking every request seriously and this is why we have spent many hours reviewing all options to bring our students and staff back into a safe and healthy environment.”
Also, the school district surveyed parents to gauge the climate on whether they were ready for their children to return to in-person instruction, according to officials. More than 60 percent of the parents surveyed wanted to return to some sort of hybrid learning.
The plan focuses on high-quality instruction, educational inequities created by COVID-19, health and safety protocols, social-emotional support systems, family and community engagement, transportation and athletics
A school district spokesman said there were no changes to the plans for athletics after tonight’s decision. KSHSAA athletics and activities are currently suspended in the district, and the plans are to return to athletics in the spring semester. Fall sports will be held in the spring next year.
For more information about the district’s plan, visit www.kckps.org.
The discussion about the school re-opening plan is at the school board meeting, online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSU8WFdSKyY.