At the Jan. 5 school board meeting livestream on YouTube, It was decided that the secondary students start date which was targeted for Jan. 26 would be moved back to April 12, despite district efforts to return. The target date is still tentative as the county needs to be in the purple tier in order to return. 

A waiver to return despite COVID-19 numbers is not being offered by the county at this time, a provision that elementary schools were able to secure.  However, even in these unsure times many are staying hopeful about returning before this school year ends.

“It’s hard to predict when we will return but I hope we will be able to safely return sometime before the end of the school year,” Health and Physical Education teacher Paul Engel said. 

If school returns in the spring, it will be in a hybrid schedule which will divide students into three groups. Group A will be attending school on Monday and Tuesday and Group B on Thursdays and Fridays while in online learning the rest of the week. Group C on the other hand will be doing online learning the entire week.

“A survey went out to parents who requested which days their child wanted to attend when we return in hybrid form.  While we can’t guarantee all requests, we will do our best to accommodate them,” Principle Bobbi Powers said.

Until then, distance learning will continue for secondary students. “I really miss seeing my students and I look forward to the day when we can safely return to in-person instruction,” Engel said.