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KC area schools announce plans for 2020-21 academic year

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After shutting down in March amid the emerging COVID-19 pandemic, schools in the Kansas City area are planning to reopen for the fall semester and welcome children back into buildings.

But with the virus still prevalent in the Kansas City region, the school experience is going to be vastly differentfor students, faculty and staff.

On Monday, July 20, the Kansas City Health Department advised Kansas City, Missouri, Public Schools to not hold in-person classes because of the continued rise in COVID-19 cases in the area, causing the district to pivot its plans. New plans were announced on July 29.

On July 9, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released guidelines of what the return to school might look like this fall.

Given the cases arising already from summer workouts programs in the Shawnee Mission School District and at colleges and universities, it’s understandable that some parents — especially those with immediate family members who have underlying health issues —may be hesitant to send children back to classrooms until the spread of COVID-19 is better contained.

Toward that end, the Blue Springs School District was the first to announce its plan for the 2020-21 academic year, when it sent an email to parents July 7.

Parents in the Blue Springs district will have the option to send their children back to a classroom or participate in the BSSD Distance Learning Program, a beefed-up online learning experience.

It’s a plan most suburban districts are likely to embrace — including the Independence School District, which announced a similar plan July 8.

The health department in Wyandotte County also has announced guidelines for schools reopening, but there may be small differences between districts in the county.

Below, 41 Action News will round up links to KC-area school district policies* as they are announced:

Area College and Universities:

* Are you a school district that's released plans but don't see them here? Please let us know at reboundkc@kshb.com.

Are you a teacher, parent, student or community member with questions about schools and education this fall? Let us know by submitting this form and we'll do our best to find out an answer.

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