EF offers back-to-school options

By CHRISTINE HAINES

chaines@yourmvi.com

Parents have decisions to make this week regarding educating their children in the Elizabeth Forward School District.

In a special session Monday, the school board approved a 2020-21 reopening plan that gives parents the options of sending their children to school two days a week with three days of remote learning or selecting five days of remote learning to start the school year. 

The district is asking for those decisions to be made by Sunday, as well as decisions on whether children will be riding school buses or be driven to school so the district can work out transportation plans.

“Everyone in the country is dealing with this. How do we bring back our students and staff and keep everyone safe?” said Superintendent Dr. Todd Keruskin.

The reopening plan calls for students with the last names starting with A-L to attend in-person classes Mondays and Tuesdays, with remote learning Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Students with last names starting with M-Z will attend remote classes Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays  and in-person classes Thursdays and Fridays. Arrangements will be made for families with children with different last names.

“The hybrid plan allows us to cut student occupancy by 50% and that allows kids to remove their masks as long as they are socially distancing,” Keruskin said. “It’s not going to be easy, but we have to give some normalcy to our students. If this is going to be long-term, we don’t want it to be two years total virtual education.”

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