KENOSHA, Wis. — The state’s third-largest school district released its plan to reopen schools this fall.
The Kenosha Unified School District's current draft proposal has students coming back either virtually or in-person. However, even if students choose to go into the physical building, not every student will go back every day in the district.
In high schools, KUSD is proposing something administrators call the “4 plus 1 model.” It means four-days of in-person learning Monday through Thursday. Then Friday will be totally virtual.
“On Friday mornings, student learning continues, but our students will not be physically present in the building,” said Kim Fisher, KUSD Regional Coordinator of Secondary School Leadership. “All of our students, whether they are virtual or in-person will have learning activities in Google classroom that they will be expected to complete on Friday mornings.”
The reason being Friday afternoons will be used by high school teachers to meet virtually with students who need extra help and to plan lessons.
“Teachers who are going to be likely teaching both in-person and virtual sections the time they need to prepare for lessons,” said Fisher.
Middle school students will go back five days a week. But some aspects like eating breakfast and lunch at school will look different.
“We are going to try to spread these students out by either adding another lunch period or a physical space,” said Sue Valeri, KUSD Chief of School Leadership.
Elementary students will go back five days a week with half-day on Fridays. All the students will be kept with the same group of children all day. That means art, music, library time, breakfast and lunch will all happen in the same classroom.
“The reason we are doing this at elementary is to keep the students in the classroom together so they are not risking potential exposure to the rest of the school,” said Valeri.
The reopening plan also includes a recommendation to require masks for students riding buses and attending school. The district plans to provide each student with two face masks to return to school. The final plan is expected to be presented to the board on July 28th.
