BETHALTO, Ill. — Bethalto Community Unit School District leaders said they hope to bring students back into the classroom five days a week, but others will be involved in the decision-making process.
In a Facebook post, the district said it is holding a meeting Thursday night to discuss plans for the upcoming school year as the coronavirus pandemic continues. While the plans are pending board approval, the district said it hopes to have students in the classroom when the school year starts on Aug. 19.
"Please know that we are governed by the state of Illinois, the Illinois State Board of Education, and both state and local health departments, so in the end, the decision, as of August 19th, may not be fully ours," the post said.
The post said the district plans to send out the specifics of its back-to-school plan to parents in a document that is more than 30 pages long. The document will run through the specifics of an in-person school year as a hybrid school year or a fully online school year.
The hybrid plan would split the students into two groups. Each day, one group would go to school for in-person classes while the other would take classes online. The next day, the groups would alternate.
Parents who were unable to attend Thursday's board meeting can send feedback and concerns to boe@bethalto.org.
The Bethalto School District serves about 2,500 students in the area of the village of Bethalto in Madison County.
Madison County has reported 1,368 COVID-19 cases and 71 deaths as of July 16.
