D99 Administration to Recommend Schedule Tonight
Dear District 99 Students and Families:
District 99 has posted its draft recommended plan for returning to in-person learning starting April 6 here. After reviewing the feedback from over 4,000 students, staff and family members, the administration is recommending following an Early Release Block Schedule and the discontinuation of the current hybrid model (no longer separating students into Group A & B).
In the proposed Early Release Block Schedule, all students will be invited to attend school in-person four days a week. The proposed school day will begin at 8 a.m., include four 70- minute class periods, and end at 1:30 p.m. While the day will include time for a 10-minute snack, a traditional lunch period will not be offered. Monday’s schedule will remain as an 8 period day meeting remotely. However, class periods will be extended to 40 minutes.
A large percent of our students (80-90%) indicate that they intend to return to in-person learning, making a traditional lunch period not feasible given the 6-foot social distancing requirement when eating. In addition, survey feedback strongly indicates that students, families, and staff prefer models without a traditional lunch, as many did not feel comfortable eating lunch at school.
We are glad to see that so many of our students intend to return to in-person learning and are excited to offer a plan that makes this possible under the safety guidelines.
At its meeting today at 6:30 p.m., the Board of Education will discuss and determine the schedule we will follow after spring break. The meeting will be held in person at South High school; seating is limited to 35 members of the public. The meeting will also be live streamed at www.youtube.com/csd99media. Please find Board information, including links to the agenda, supporting materials and ways to submit comments, here.
We are asking all families to indicate their learning selection (remote vs. in-person) later this week after the Board of Education decides on a direction. Remote will continue to be an option for any student; however, we strongly encourage all students without a medical reason to return to in-person learning after spring break. In addition, remote-only students can switch to in-person learning at any time.
We will provide additional information to you tomorrow, once a plan is confirmed.
Thank you,
District 99