Students across Iowa have been back in the classroom for 100 percent in-person learning for a few weeks now after months of transition between remote and hybrid learning models.
Now, Mackenzie Brown is a senior at Davenport Central High School and she is happy to be back in the classroom.
"I'm actually very excited," Brown says. "For me personally, online learning is actually a really big struggle. I need the visual connections, the face-to-face and hands-on (learning)."
While she missed that academic experience and social connection, Brown knows there are other struggles that made online learning difficult for some of her classmates.
"A lot of the kids had to get jobs so that interferes with online learning," she says.
Jabari Woods, Director of Diversity and Inclusion, says it's important to identify those disparities in the community. He says the district with those experiencing challenges since the start of the pandemic, including low income families and students of color.
"It could be struggling with food, struggling with no technology at home, not having heat, not having access to the things you need to live," Woods says.
Bridging the technology gap meant getting Chromebooks, Wi-Fi access and internet hotspots to those homes and neighborhoods. Personal phone calls and home visits were also made to get families connected.
"Students are looking to us like 'What in the world is going on?'" Woods says. "It's up to us as adults to make sure we're demonstrating that in a crisis, we can come together."
Mackenzie says she thinks the district adapted fairly well to the situation, and she hopes she and her classmates are back in school for the rest of her senior year.
"The senior experience isn't exactly what everyone is hoping for, but they're trying plan out what still needs to be planned out," she says.
Woods also says it was a community effort with local organizations to get students connected to the internet and other resources they need.