BY SYDNEY HOOVER
The Eudora School Board set the district’s first full day of school to Sept. 8 during a special board meeting Thursday.
This aligns the Eudora School District with other surrounding districts, including De Soto and Baldwin, and follows the Gov. Laura Kelly recommendation. The board will send the adjusted calendar to the Eudora chapter of the National Education Association before approval.
“These are the hard times. These are the tough times, these are the tough decisions that nobody thought we would have to make,” said board member Samantha Arredondo during the meeting. “For me, really, the health and safety of everyone is at the forefront of all of this.”
The decision was made during a nearly four-hour special board meeting where members further discussed the district’s reopening plan. Discussions began after the plan was introduced to the board Monday.
A contentious discussion also led to a change in the district’s plan for a hybrid model for schooling. As written initially, the district’s hybrid plan would include four days of school at full capacity, with Wednesdays remote for deep cleaning and planning. The board was split throughout the discussion, but voted 6-1 to change the hybrid model to an “A-B” plan, in which schools were at half capacity and students alternated between in-person and online learning.
This came after several parents and teachers spoke to the board via Zoom, expressing concerns and questions around returning to school. Several said they believed entirely online learning is the safest option for the health of students and teachers. Board members also mentioned receiving many emails from community members prior to the meeting.
“It won’t matter how much my children learn if they become sick and have life changing and ongoing side effects that will affect their academic performance and educational outcomes in the future,” said Sarah Walters, a parent of two Eudora students.
The board agreed to potentially phase in the original four day in-person hybrid model, but has not yet determined specifics on when or how this would be implemented.
Although only one of the speakers expressed wanting full-time in-person class at the start of the school year, data presented to the board Monday from a survey sent to parents showed a majority of parents felt a hybrid or full-time in-person model was acceptable. Board President Eric Votaw said he believes the best option is to allow for an option of in-person schooling and remote learning.
“I do not feel we are in a position to decide what is best for each child,” Votaw said. “I as an individual should have control over what occurs for my children, what opportunities they have. Just like in this, as well as most things in life, I’m not looking for someone else to take responsibility for a decision I make for my child.”
The board did not make a decision on which phase the district would begin school in. Currently, the district could only allow hybrid learning or more restrictive options, as Douglas County is still in its “yellow zone.” Should the county move up to “green” or down to “red,” the district could be less restrictive or have more restrictions, respectively.
Members also adjusted the plan so it would open opportunities for families to switch from remote learning to in-person, or vice versa, at the end of first quarter and allow students opting for remote learning to still participate in extracurriculars. Several speakers expressed concerns that limiting extracurriculars for remote students feels like a punishment for not attending in-person classes.
“Asking a parent to send their child into an enclosed building for seven hours a day with hundreds of people is very different from the environment in which many sports take place, which places them in a much lower category,” said Eudora parent Lark Lund.
The Kansas State High School Activities Association is allowing students taking classes online to participate in sports and activities.
The School Board will continue discussions around the reopening plan on Thursday. Board members plan to meet every Thursday for the foreseeable future as conditions within the pandemic continue to change.
Reach Sydney Hoover at eudoratimes@gmail.com. The Eudora Times will resume regular news operations Aug. 24. Please donate to support our journalism at tinyurl.com/y4u7stxj.
Comments