The first day of in-person school in the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools district went very well on Wednesday, according to district spokesman Edwin Birch.
“I think people were just happy to see people and to see kids,” Birch said. There was laughter, smiling faces and “it was awesome,” he said.
Students in kindergarten through 12th grade returned to in-person school after having been at home for remote learning for around a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were safety precautions in place, including masks, social distancing and clear barriers. Students at the elementary level are sitting in small groups, or pods, within the classroom.
Until now, most students in the district had been in remote learning through the internet. A small group of students, including some high school seniors, some special education students and some students with internet connectivity problems, came back to in-person school earlier this year.
Teachers in Kansas City, Kansas, were able to be vaccinated before they returned to school.
Birch, executive director of communications for the district, said more than 80 percent of the district’s parents selected in-person instruction for their students. The other 20 percent opted to stay at home in remote learning, he added.
