August School Information and Survey (RESPONSE REQUESTED)
Many of our families and students are anxiously awaiting information about our return to school in August. We are writing to give an update on an information timeline. We have been actively involved in meetings with Kansas State Department of Education and other school districts on plan developments.
While we have much work to do over the summer months, we are planning to resume in-person operations in August. Our preparation is focused on providing a high-quality education in a safe environment. Please know that we will continue to consider and plan accordingly for health and safety as additional guidelines and guidance are provided to us. This will include, but is not limited to, social distancing, the possibility of health screenings, the use of masks by students and staff, and more. We have also had meetings about busing, sanitation schedules and school operations.
We also are looking at the possibility that school might need to look different at times throughout the school year for some or all students. To help in our planning we ask that you take time to fill out this google survey, https://forms.gle/kVgWXzCdB8h6pZqm8. The survey includes a question about your comfort level on returning to school in three different possibilities.
- Returning to school full-time with appropriate safety precautions. The precautions will be based on what is recommended at the time that school will be starting.
- A blended model with a combination of remote learning and in-person instruction.
- Remote learning only that would include online instruction only.
USD469 will continue to serve all of our families to the best of our ability, and your input is valuable as we make plans and contingencies for next school year. Please be as thorough as you can on the questions asking about what worked well or didn’t work well for your family through our continuous learning plan.
We will strive to update you as information becomes available about next school year. Kansas State Department of Education has developed a task force to provide school guidance on reopening. The school will receive a draft of the guidance on July 9th, and it should be approved by the Kansas State School Board on July 16. https://www.ksde.org/Home/Quick-Links/News-Room/educators-parents-and-agencies-join-forces-to-create-guidance-for-reopening-schools-this-fall-1. Our principals and building leadership teams are prepared to meet to tweak our plans on school for the fall as soon as the draft guidance is provided.
One of the worries we have as a district includes the different levels that students will be at when we return to school. Continuous learning worked well for some students and not for others. We have restructured some positions to include more intervention to best serve our students that are at all levels. The important work of screening and monitoring student progress will continue next year, and our plans include dedicated staff at every grade level in grades K-3 to organize interventions. We also added a full-time interventionist at grades 4-5.
We will update our community as more information is available. We look forward to school resuming in August. Our world continues to change daily, and we will adjust our plans as new information is presented.
It is my honor to serve as the Superintendent of USD469.
Dan Wessel