KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Students in the Kansas City, Kansas School District could be starting hybrid learning in January.
The school board approved the plan during a meeting on Tuesday night. However, things could change between now and then.
Interim Superintendent Dr. Alicia Miguel said the district initially had Nov. 9 as a possible start date for hybrid learning.
However, data from the Wyandotte County Health Department prompted the school board to go with its alternative plan to shoot for hybrid learning in January.
"We're also going to continue to monitor the data as we get close to the January date to see how have things changed," Miguel said. "We would not bring kids in the building if things have gotten worse."
If the hybrid model begins in January, it would phase in students starting with early childhood through second-grade on Jan. 19. Third grade through 12th-grade students would start on Jan. 25.
The board is currently looking at dividing students into two groups and having one group attend classes Mondays and Tuesdays. The other group would attend Thursdays and Fridays. Wednesdays would be all virtual to provide time for deep cleaning.
Parents would have the option to keep their students remote if they prefer it.
Jasmine Williams said her three kids will stay virtual because they like it, and it works for their family. Williams also worries about the risk of COVID-19 spread.
"When you get a bunch of kids together I don't see how they're going to be able to control that environment so I'd rather be safe than sorry," Williams said. "I just really think it's hard to contain children in a way to where they will actually wear their masks, not touch each other, wash their hands."
Parent Amber Taylor said she was disappointed with the board's decision to wait until January. She was hoping her kindergarten son with autism and preschool son would be back in-person in November, because they have been struggling with virtual learning.
"They need that one-on-one, they need that hands-on and that classroom setting to be able to learn," Taylor said. "I feel like my kindergartner hasn't learned anything since we started back to school."
Taylor worries the hybrid learning will be delayed again at the start of the year.
"It's not going to go away over night, it probably will be worse by January," Taylor said.
Dr. Miguel said she sympathizes with parents like Amber whose children are having a difficult time doing virtual learning.
"We want to be in school with students, but we also know we have to be very aware of what is happening in the community," Miguel said.
Miguel said there is also a plan to bring back students with very specific needs as early as a few weeks from now.
Those students would be ones whose services cannot be provided virtually. Teachers are in the process of reaching out to those parents currently.
Miguel said she wants to encourage families with concerns to reach out to their school's principal.
