Local News

Some D161 students return for hybrid in-person learning March 9, with fourth-quarter shift

A long-discussed return to in-person learning through a hybrid model in Flossmoor School District 161 is slated for March 9, but only for families who elected it.

The District 161 Board of Education voted 6-1 during a special meeting on Feb. 1 to approve the plan. To align the academic calendar with the hybrid return, board members also shifted the end date of the district’s third quarter and beginning of its fourth quarter, a move that means students may see a change in teachers.

Board Member David Linnear cast the lone dissenting vote. While he did not speak to any issues with the plan during the meeting, Linnear previously stated he was in favor of a return but that it should be in January or February. He thought March or April were too late in the school year to make sense.

He confirmed to the Homewood-Flossmoor Chronicle following the meeting that was his reason for voting against the March plan.

“Disruptions with changing teachers, environments, classmates, routines and to the families of these children in our community may further impact social-emotional learning in ways unforeseen with our younger learners,” he said.

In his report to the board, Superintendent Dana Smith noted that COVID-19 numbers in the area have “decreased steadily over the last few weeks.” He said the district has a “window of opportunity” to reopen its schools safely in a hybrid model. His report noted the recommendation to reopen came after discussions with staff, parents and administrators.

“I’m very proud of this report,” Smith said. “It represents, truly, the input of our District 161 stakeholders.”

Under the plan, the district’s third quarter is to end Thursday, March 4. 

Friday, March 5, will be an independent learning day. 

Monday, March 8, is to serve as a remote learning planning day, with no school for students.

On Tuesday, March 9, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students as well as those in grades 1, 2 and 6 will return to in-person learning. The following day, students in grades 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 are to return. Smith said the grades were offset to make sure the district’s protocols are working properly.

By Thursday, March 11, the hybrid learning program will be fully operational, but the following day will be a remote learning day. The schedule after that calls for four days of in-person learning for those in the hybrid program and remote learning for all students on Fridays.

Smith said the change in academic timeline is designed to implement the transition to in-person learning at the beginning of a quarter, minimizing stress for both students and staff. 

It also will give staff members more time to receive the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as plan class lists and instructional groups. It will leave 10 weeks of in-person learning for students this school year.

“We have 10 weeks, and that time is not lost on us,” Smith said. “We’re talking about time. It’s incredibly important we don’t give any of it back.”

Though he voted in favor of the measure, Board Member Cameron Nelson questioned how the district wound up looking at early March rather than a Feb. 16 return date that had previously been discussed. 

Smith said the primary factors were allowing teachers more time to get their second COVID-19 vaccine shots and considering the transition between academic quarters.

“At the end of the day, this really does check a lot of boxes for us,” Smith said.

But in a January survey that asked families to select whether they wished to consider remote learning or return to a hybrid model, only 42-46%, depending on the school, said they wanted to return to in-person learning. 

Nelson asked why, considering those numbers, the district could not find enough staff that is vaccinated and willing to return by Feb. 16 to cover less than half of the student body.

“I’m a little frustrated that we can’t pull that off,” Nelson said.

Smith said the logistics are not as simple as finding enough teachers to cover that many students but also involve matching classrooms to the proper instructors.

“It has to be the right staff,” Smith said.

Nelson then asked why, if most teachers and high-risk individuals will have had the opportunity to get fully vaccinated by March 8, District 161 is not bringing all students back under the hybrid program at that time. 

Smith said the demand just is not there, and some families would never let their children return to in-person learning this school year.

“Right now, we’re going on community willingness to return,” Smith said. “There are families that will not return this year under any circumstances.”

Nelson said he has heard stories of children excited about the prospect of returning and remains concerned about the harm potentially being done to students who are getting lost in online classes. He also questioned why if most teachers would have their first shots of the vaccine by Feb. 16 the district had to wait for the second.

“My concern about this process is we’re not giving enough weight to the things we cannot see,” Nelson said. “We’re putting off for another month what seems to me a small difference in marginal safety. I would have weighed the balance differently.”

Smith said this reopening plan was ultimately the one that was thought to be the most palatable to the board. He also saw positives in the plan.

“This represents the best opportunity to get a ‘yes’ vote,” Smith said. “At the end of the day, this gives us a full quarter of in-person learning. I wish it was a full year.”

Board Member Christina Vlietstra, who at previous meetings advocated for a return to in-person learning, said she just wants to see the district stick to this plan now that it has been approved.

“I’m glad we’ve come to an agreement,” Vlietstra said. “We’re done kicking the can down the road. We just have to make this date [for reopening]. We need to do that.”

More than 200 people tuned in for the March 9 special meeting via Zoom, as was the case the week prior for reopening discussions.

News by email

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Name

Free weekly newsletter

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Name
Most read stories this week