ST. LOUIS — Saint Louis Public Schools released its reopening plans on Monday.
There will be three options for students to choose from. Families are asked to select from in-person instruction from teachers in school buildings, virtual learning provided by district teachers through Microsoft Teams or online instruction through the student-driven Edmentum platform.
The deadline for families to respond is July 30. School is scheduled to begin on Aug. 24.
“Starting back in April, as we were first seeing the real impact of COVID-19 on our community, we put together a task force of stakeholders to develop a plan for the 2020-2021 school year,” Dr. Kelvin R. Adams, Superintendent of Saint Louis Public Schools, said.
“This plan encompasses months of hard work by the administrators, teachers, community partners, and parents on the committee. It was reviewed and approved by our great partners at the City of St. Louis Department of Health. We are following their lead every step of the way,” said Dr. Adams. “We know the school year ahead will be challenging, but the plan we have put forth enables us to honor parent choice and return to school safely with flexibility, should we need to shift gears and return to 100% virtual.”
Every student in the Saint Louis Public Schools district will receive either an iPad or a laptop. According to a release from the district, younger students will get an iPad and high school students will receive a laptop. In addition to the technology, the district said any family that lacks internet is eligible to borrow a hot spot for learning.
According to the release, the district’s plan for in-person instruction includes strict cleaning measures for school buildings, limits on visitors, COVID-19 testing for all staff, requirements for face coverings and daily health screens for students and staff. The facilities team has developed seating arrangements for all classrooms that create distance between students. A group of students and a teacher will form a cohort, learning, playing and eating together to keep interactions in the building to a minimum and assist with contact tracing, should it be necessary.
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