South Butler County School District administrators are planning on a return to the hybrid model of learning following Thanksgiving and continuing through the first week of January.
Superintendent Dr. David Foley has already been given authority to make the change when he feels it to be necessary but he informed school board members of his rationale at Wednesday’s online meeting.
“The rationale behind it is that we’re going into the holidays, and I’ve seen the Department of Health and CDC’s recommendation for the holidays, and I’m hoping we do not have a big uptick in cases following the break,” Foley said.
This hybrid model would see half of secondary students attend in person two days each week and with the other half in person the other two days. Students will be taught by livestream while not in class. The fifth day would be used for planning and small group learning. Foley hopes to keep elementary in person as long as staffing allows.
Foley would like to continue offering in-person instruction for the next couple of weeks until Thanksgiving break but he is ready in case guidance received from the state forces an alteration of those plans.
“I think I have a Plan B, Plan C, and Plan D,” Foley said. “This is all I’m thinking about from the moment I get up to the moment I go to bed.”
South Butler operated under the hybrid model with secondary students for the first three weeks of school as a precaution to allow for increased social distancing and reduce the chance of longer shut down periods.
