District 233 school board members are working to reach an agreement on whether students should return to Homewood-Flossmoor High School in the fall for in-person learning with a hybrid model, or continue with all-remote learning.
They continue to solicit comments from parents. The board will meet remotely at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 21, to reach a decision on the matter.
During a nearly four-hour Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday, board members heard concerns from parents and teachers about return-to-school considerations. The first day of the 2020-21 school year is Aug. 12.
They also listened to administrators outline plans for how they could implement hybrid and remote learning models of instruction, and the challenges they face in serving students’ educational needs while also meeting safety guidelines issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and state and county health departments.
A hybrid, or blended, model would split H-F’s 2,800 students into two groups that would physically attend class on one of two schedules — Monday/Wednesday, or Tuesday/Thursday.
The daily school schedule would operate as normal, with seven classes meeting in 45-minute periods. Students and staff would be required to wear masks throughout the day, except at lunch or when classes are held outdoors.
On the remaining three days, students would connect through remote methods to meet in small groups, work with teachers and counselors, conduct research on projects, and complete assignments.
The other option is to continue with all-remote learning. Board members said they anticipate this system will offer students at home the same amount of time interacting with teachers as those students attending in person.
Whatever the board recommends, Superintendent Von Mansfield stressed that health and safety remain the top priority.
“I won’t make a recommendation unless I feel it’s safe,” Mansfield said. “We’re going to try to do the best that we can to give kids face-to-face instruction, and if we can’t accomplish that, then we must find the best model (for school) that we can.”
The district has already asked parents for their input on opening school through an online survey that netted 1,442 responses. Parents were asked to fill out a separate response for each of their children.
Their biggest concerns included academics, health and safety, social/emotional needs, and extracurricular activities.
Responses showed:
- 62.8 percent favored a blended model of instruction.
- 26 percent favored the remote learning model.
- 9 percent were undecided.
- 2 percent gave other comments.
When asked whether they would send their child to school in the fall if HFHS had a five-day schedule or a blended schedule:
- 42.4 percent said they would send their student.
- 37 percent said they were hesitant about it.
- 7 percent said they would not send their student.
- 8 percent were undecided.
Several board members said they’ve heard from parents who said they would want the upcoming remote learning to be an improvement over the system put in place when schools shut down in March.
Principal Jerry Anderson said teachers recognize the previous shortcomings, adding that they did the best they could with only a few days notice for planning for remote teaching. Professional development is helping to shape a curriculum, and teachers are developing ways to have better remote interactions with students, she said.
The Homewood-Flossmoor Education Organization, the union that represents the school’s staff, surveyed its members and got a 65 percent response:
- 66 percent wanted remote learning.
- 22 percent wanted the blended model.
Teachers were also asked how comfortable they were to return to school:
- 46 percent said they were extremely apprehensive.
- 29 percent said they were apprehensive.
“The union strongly recommends we start the year with remote learning with the possibility of returning when the school feels all the safety protocols can be implemented,” union president Dana Noble told the board.
Anderson acknowledged many questions remain to be answered: how to social distance in bathrooms; how to safely move students throughout the building and between buildings with social distancing; how to disinfect classrooms and shared equipment after each period; how to teach music classes when guidance says singing and playing instruments is not recommended.
They must determine how to stagger lunch periods when a maximum of 50 people can congregate in the same space. On a regular schedule, H-F’s four lunch periods each accommodate 700 students. These are just a few of the outstanding concerns.
Board President Steve Anderson said he would like answers to these critical issues by the next meeting, but the principal said she didn’t know if she could provide firm answers.
As they inch closer to decision day, the board faces another obstacle, Mansfield said. Every time the steering committee feels nearly ready with a plan, state health officials issue new guidelines that force another round of changes.