GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The Green Bay School Board has updated its gating criteria for middle and high schoolers.
The blended model will now allow students in 6th through 12th grade to be in-person at least once a week.
Those students will only switch to that model when COVID-19 cases reach 250 cases per 100,000 people.
Monday night’s discussion began with over an hour of public comment. Many parents expressed their continued concerns.
Sara Perrault, a parent in the GBAPS District said, “kindergarteners should be working with their hands, cutting, doing fine motor skills, that kind of stuff. But, every day all day long, he’s sitting on a computer.”
Many asking for the school board to consider options.
Barbara Coniff, another parent in the GBAPS District said, “all policy considerations for school COVID-19 plans should start with goal of having students physically present in school. This changes the question from when is it safe to reopen schools to how do we make it possible?”
Those options are being considered after a survey was distributed by the District between mid-December to January.
All families were asked which mode of learning they prefer. 60% showing preference for in-person learning. 26% wanting virtual learning. And 14% did not respond.
“You hear parents want to come out. 60% want to go back to school, not 100%,” said Perrault, “you should have at least enough staff to teach those 60%.”
Superintendent Stephen Murley said they’ve been looking at different factors, including advantages and disadvantages of bringing this age group back.
“A couple examples out there, so we had something to work from,” said Murley, “and then we reached out to our building teams and asked for their input and their review on it.”
The school also plans to hold a special board meeting to look at gating criteria for 3K-2nd grade.
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