ROCK ISLAND, Ill — It's been almost a year since students in the Rock Island-Milan School District left for spring break... and never quite came back. But now, the district is expanding their in-person learning options for parents, after a survey found about half of the district's families want more days in the classroom.
Currently, students can either be fully remote, or participate in a hybrid program, where they're in-person for two half days a week.
Last week, the district asked parents what kind of learning they wanted to see in the fourth quarter. They found about half wanted more time in the classroom, and half were fine with the already-available options.
Of the 2,641 parents who responded, accounting for 3,432 of the district's students, 51.8% wanted to send their children to as many in-person learning days as possible; 20.1% preferred to keep the current blended learning with two half-days a week; and 28% of parents said they would keep their child fully remote for the remainder of the school year.
Therefore, the district has decided to keep the current learning options for students, as well as add the ability to attend four half-days of in-person learning each week, beginning in the fourth quarter at the end of March.
Now, parents have until Thursday, March 4, to decide how their children will finish the year.
"We try to look at what everyone's saying and come down to a reasonable decision that's going to meet the needs of students, but also make sure we're hearing the voices of parents and staff members too," explained Superintendent Dr. Reginald Lawrence. "It's a difficult balance."
He says that while only half of parents wanted to change the current attendance policies, the fact that three-quarters of the district's families wanted some form of in-person learning prompted the expansion.
Dr. Lawrence also warns parents that not everyone might be able to attend the increased in-person learning, depending on what availability each building has. And, the social distancing for those in school - for either four or two days - might have to decrease from six feet, to accommodate the extra students.
The amount of families that marked a preference for fully online is one of the highest percentages in the area, at nearly a third of parents.
"Every community is different and that’s the hard part for us as superintendents," said Dr. Lawrence. "I’ve got some parents that say, 'Well hey, this district is going 80%, they’re going back 5 days a week, they’re going back four full days a week, why aren’t we doing that?' It’s because our communities have different wants and needs and we’re going to continue to meet those needs."
Some parents, however, are worried that the increased expansion will create a larger risk for their own kids.
Shalom Schultz's son is currently in the two-day hybrid model. She says now that the extra in-person days are being added, she'll probably pull him to fully remote, for the end of the school year.
"Everything I’ve heard from medical professionals is saying we need to be more vigilant, not less, with the newer strains of Covid going around," said Shalom Schultz. Her son is currently in the two-day hybrid model.
She says now that the extra in-person days are being added, she'll probably pull him to fully remote, for the end of the school year.
"I know remote learning has been really tough on a lot of people. For me and my kid, I have to say we make it work. It’s not ideal, not what we want forever, but at this point in time with one quarter left in the school year, I don’t think it’s a good idea to lower our guard," she explained.
But for others, like Jennifer Yoerger, the four-day option will become the new go-to. She says for her three kids, learning from home has been more detrimental than when they're back in the classroom.
"I truly believe that all of the kids need to be in school in order to be learning and to be getting information they need to actually grow and prosper to get a proper education. And I think the online learning has actually hindered my children more so than it’s helped them," she said.
Yoerger says the past year has been a struggle for her, and that in the long-run, having her kids go back is the right choice.
"They’re growing up so different from the way that we did and they’re not getting that socialization and they’re not learning," she said.
The district will offer the increased in-person days at the end of March, after returning from spring break.