How USD 259 and Other Local Districts Are Reopening Kansas Classrooms

Since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Washington State in January of this year, life in the United States has been more than a little bit altered. Information, misinformation, theories and new findings are being presented and analyzed by people all over the world each day. With autumn soon creeping into Kansas, parents and children alike are curious what to expect when teachers and their students return to the classroom in the Wichita area, most on September 8 of this year.

With the Wichita Board of Education pressured to provide the required 1,116 student interaction hours within the school year, there are three learning models which USD 259 is proposing to head the return to education. They are: 1) On-site (face-to-face) learning, 2) MySchool Remote (local online) learning, and 3) Education Imagine Academy (virtual education) learning. Other area school districts are proposing some version of the same choices. Under the decision made during the August 20 Board of Education Meeting for USD 259, parents of Pre-K - 5 students will have full choice between all three options. For students in grades 6-12, however, MySchool Remote, and Education Imagine Academy, remain the only two means for an education. This is valid through the first nine weeks of school, and may be subject to change afterwards. This is a unique development. Surrounding districts, including Valley Center, Derby, and Park City, all offer in-person learning opportunities for all students included with optional remote learning. Maize, Andover, and Goddard schools are leaning toward a hybrid learning environment, spending specific days in and out of school throughout the school week, while Pre-K - 5 students are mostly in-person.

For Wichita Public Schools, onsite learning is by far the most supported education practice within the district. It was discussed in the BOE meeting held on July 30, that of the 911 classified USD 259 employees surveyed toward the end of July this year, more than 53 percent of them preferred onsite learning as opposed to the other options. On-site learning remains the most familiar and easily manageable path, though it is not without heavy safety restrictions. The CDC’s recommendations concerning masks and social distancing must be followed, with a close eye on the health of students and faculty throughout each day. Students who ride the bus must be distanced with assigned seating and, if applicable to them, must share seating with their household members. Masks will be required by all passengers, including the driver. Students will unload the bus from front to back.

For many families who are struggling economically, on-site education is a reliable and often necessary way to get enough food for children every day. This is vital, since so many people have become unemployed during the pandemic. Food services within an on-site school system would be simplified and quick, with no lunch bars and restricted eating areas. Several area districts set up “grab and go” programs this summer to provide food services for those who qualify for free or reduced breakfast, or lunch.

MySchool Remote, the second most supported model (with upwards of 15 percent approval among the 911 employees mentioned earlier), will offer online schooling with a considerable amount of teacher-student interaction. With all necessary required technology provided, students would remain enrolled in their area’s school of choice and would thus interact with that school’s staff. Daily, students and teachers are scheduled to convene over video messaging platforms, Microsoft Teams for all USD 259 students. As with before the pandemic, middle and high school students will interact with their teachers as if following the in-person schedule.

Education Imagination Academy is the fully virtual, less localized education option for students within the USD 259 area. The Academy’s rosters for the 2020-21 school year are completely filled. The Education Imagine Academy offers flexible hours to suit student and parent needs, with more than 70 courses offered. For those interested, an e-sports league is a program also provided by the Academy.

In June, the Maize school district offered a survey in which 70 percent of parents answered that they were most comfortable with their children attending schooling in person in the upcoming year(s) amidst the virus. Already in USD 259, the novel coronavirus has been confirmed at Cessna Elementary, Curtis Middle School, Sowers Alternative High, and North High - all within the staff community alone, and only since school faculty returned earlier this August. The total number of cases within each school is unknown. With many students soon to be inside learning institutions, the question of a coronavirus outbreak looms on the minds of many people. With the safety of children and their educators in question, there is much to consider, and much alternative planning to be completed.