Green Bay School District prepares to bring more students back April 12
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - We first told you Monday middle and high school students in the Green Bay Area Public School District will have the opportunity to go back to school four days a week starting next month.
The change comes as district staff continues to be vaccinated and work to keep students and staff at a safe distance.
“We’re about 28 percent right now of our students who are in that virtual environment,” said Superintendent Stephen Murley.
Murley isn’t sure how much that number could change come April 12, when middle and high school students will be allowed back on campus four days a week for the remainder of the school year.
“We’re asking parents to reach out to their building principals by April 1 and let them know if they would like to change their model of instruction. that will allow us to make sure we get staff property aligned for when those students come back to us on the 12,” said Murley.
Murley says keeping students and staff at least three feet apart will be a challenge as they ramp up to welcome more students to campus.
Another challenge has been staffing, but are hoping as more teachers get vaccinated the less strain there will be come April.
“We’re usually close on any given day to making sure we have enough adults to fill all the needs that we have in the buildings. So, just being able to have that few extra people who may have otherwise been off-site due to isolation or quarantine we think could really make an enormous difference for us.”
The district continues to hold vaccine clinics and expects about 85 percent of staff to be fully vaccinated by the time secondary students come back four days a week.
It’s a light at the end of the tunnel as the district starts to plan for summer school. District leaders say they are seeing higher interest in summer school programming so far.
“For example at the elementary level, about 50 percent of respondents say they want full day opportunities for their students versus partial day. For secondary students we’re hearing they want more of the half day opportunities,” said Lisa Johnson, coordinator of extended learning and summer school.
District officials say they are looking forward to resuming in person classes five days a week in the fall.
An online learning option will remain for middle and high school students for the 2021-2021 school year.
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