With much debate over the past few months about whether or not schools will reopen to in-person learning in September, a deadline of July 31 has been set for school districts to present their fall reopening plans to the state.
The following plans were proposed as of press time, and could change:
J-D
The Jamesville-DeWitt School District announced that it would have all of its kindergarten and first-grade students attend school five days a week starting in September. Students in second through 12th grade would have a hybrid schedule, attending two days a week, either Monday-Tuesday or Thursday-Friday, with remote learning on Wednesdays. At-risk students, such as those with disabilities, would have the ability to attend four days a week. The intention is to have 16 or 17 students per classroom based on social-distancing guidelines, with temperature checks each day, mandatory face guards, all staff reporting and the hope that enough parents will provide rides to school to free up room on buses.
F-M
The Fayetteville-Manlius School District is planning a hybrid model where some students attend school in person Mondays and Tuesdays, while others learn remotely, and then those students would attend in person on Thursday and Friday, with the previous group then learning remotely those days. Some special education classes will be held four days a week in school. No in-person classes would be held Wednesday in order for schools to be disinfected.
Remote learning only will be available for students who are uncomfortable with attending classes held in school.
During the July 20 F-M Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Craig J. Tice said the district’s reopening plan is due to the state no later than July 31. The state is expected to review the plans Aug. 1-7 and a decision to reopen schools to students in the fall will be made by the state at that time.
According to a message on the district’s website, Tice said the district’s plan will apply to three learning environments, including in-person instruction, remote learning and a hybrid model that combines in-person and virtual schooling. It will also include the district’s plans for monitoring and containing any potential COVID-19 cases that occur in the school community and, in the event of an outbreak, how the district will conduct operations.
“Our work will be ongoing,” Tice said. “It doesn’t end once we hit the submit button on July 31. Keeping our students and staff members healthy and safe is a priority that will continue to evolve.”
Updates will be posted at fmschools.org.
ESM
“Based on recent surveys, the ESM Plan will offer distance learning for those parents who have requested this learning model, and assess the capacity to offer in-person instruction 5 days/week for families who would prefer this option,” Dr. Donna J. DeSiato wrote. “A hybrid alternative (two days in-person/three days distance learning) has been developed as well, and will be implemented in the event that we exceed the capacity for in-person learning.”
DeSiato said, “The district has designed a phased-in, gradual implementation plan to develop teacher-student and home-school relationships along with meeting new health and safety requirements. Staff, students and parents must learn these requirements as part of the school reopening plan. To accomplish this, all students will begin the opening of school with virtual learning and then transition to their preferred learning model.”
She stated that the district, by Aug. 14, “will ask parents/guardians to confirm their choice of learning model for their child(ren) for the 2020-21 school year. We anticipate that the first day of school for students will be Wednesday, Sept. 9.”
