Lincolnshire-Prairie View District 103 offering choice between in-person, online school
All three schools in Lincolnshire-Prairie View District 103 will open for daily, on-campus instruction when the 2020-21 term begins next month.
But remote learning is an option for parents reluctant to send their kids to Laura B. Sprague School, Half Day School or Daniel Wright Junior High during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Classes are scheduled to start Aug. 25.
Families have until Friday to choose one of the two options by filling out a questionnaire at d103.org/Page/404. They'll be able to switch to the other plan in January, if desired.
So far, parents are fairly evenly split when it comes to choosing in-class or at-home schooling, Superintendent Scott Warren said. The results of a recent parent survey indicated that would be the case, he said.
District 103 schools ended the 2019-20 term with 1,910 students in pre-kindergarten through the eighth grade. Fewer kids in the buildings makes safe distancing in classrooms easier to maintain and makes on-campus education for those families that want it possible, Warren said.
“If I had not enough parents signing up for remote (schooling) ... I would have to go to a hybrid model,” Warren said, referring to the mix of at-home and in-person schooling some schools are set to use this fall.
Administrators decided to offer the two options “after extensive research,” District 103 spokeswoman Margaret Van Duch said. They also got input from school board members, she said, but the board wasn't asked to vote on the plan.
Guidelines for on-campus education are available at d103.org/Page/405.
Parents of students going to any of the three schools will be asked to check their kids' temperatures at home each morning. Students, employees and visitors will be subjected to temperature checks upon arrival at school, too, Warren said.
Also, students and employees will wear masks in school unless prevented by medical issues. Kids must bring five clean, cloth masks each day.
Classroom desks and tables will be organized to allow at least three feet between students. And students will stay in their classroom as much as possible, including during lunch.
Rules for remote learning are available at d103.org/Page/406. The approach will combine live lessons over video conferencing and individual learning time with recorded lessons and other techniques.
Participating students will use their school-issued iPads to complete work. Families with students who don't yet have those iPads will be notified how to get them.
Regardless of whether they're on campus or at home, all students will use the same online materials to ensure consistency in the curriculum, officials said.
If the pandemic worsens, district officials may shift to part-time or full-time remote learning for everyone.