Schools prepare for face-to-face learning

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
The question everyone has asked since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wyoming began is this: Will schools be able to open regularly for the 2020-21 school year and will the students have to wear masks?
The answer for Weston County School District No. 1, according to Superintendent Brad LaCroix, is hopefully and occasionally. 
“We plan to start in Tier 1, but we have to have plans for all three tiers ready to go in case we get notified that we (the district) need to move into another category,” LaCroix said. 
Within the Tier 1 plan, students will need to wear a mask in listed locations, including hallways, buses and bathrooms between classes. 
“I would like to provide as much clarity as possible regarding the district’s position on social distancing and the wearing of masks if we are indeed able to fully open under a Tier 1 plan this month,” LaCroix said in a letter to district staff. 
In the letter, teachers and staff are told to recognize when maintaining 6 feet of social distancing is not possible, they ask that a mask be worn in those cases, realize that different health and mental stressors exist for different people, remember that masks don’t have to be worn at all times and to respect each other and their different beliefs. He adds that district staff need to understand that they have a responsibility to care for each other and themselves if the schools hope to return safely. 
According to the July 1 Smart Start guidance document from the Wyoming Department of Education, school districts across the state will be required to have three different plans submitted to the department for approval before the start of the new school year. 
Tier 1 is the goal for the district, LaCroix said. This would entail face-to-face teaching, with precautions designed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus through students and staff. 
“We want to work with you all to make the return to school as comfortable as possible, so we can truly celebrate being reunited with our students and again experiencing the joy of helping them grow,” LaCroix said in the letter, adding that he would like them all to fill out a survey on what they think are the best options moving forward and any concerns.
“I am also asking all of you to embrace the opportunity we have to offer outdoor learning this fall. For the first six to eight weeks of school, the weather will be nice enough to move your classes outdoors on the majority of days to further limit the potential for COVID-19 transmission,” LaCroix said in the letter.  
Each school’s “expansive grounds” provide ample space for numerous outdoor learning pods, he said. LaCroix added that he hopes the community can rally together to secure canopies, tents and other coverings to shelter students during outdoor learning. 
“In addition to offering a safer alternative, the chance to offer unique outdoor experiences could provide a new and exciting learning opportunity for our students,” LaCroix said. 
In preparing for the possibility of a positive test or outbreak within the district, LaCroix said, the staff needs to be prepared to adjust throughout the different tiers. He noted that the students also need to be prepared for the possibility of either remote learning or a mix of remote and on-site learning. 
LaCroix asked the staff in the letter to prepare a plan outlining how to best accomplish those shifts from in-person to online learning, potentially on very short notice. 
According to LaCroix, the Tier 2 plan will address more of these potential health and safety protocols, with plans for small groups and potential mixed-delivery education. 
“This plan will be for if the health officials say we cannot be in large groups at any building, whether it is 250 or 500 in a school,” LaCroix said. 
Tier 3, which each district must also prepare for, is the one that no one wants to use, according to LaCroix. Tier 3 is the plan for complete closure of schools and remote learning. 
“We have to have a better way to do the online stuff than how we ended the school year. The district will make plans with better ways of delivering the education that is maybe more ‘user friendly’,” LaCroix said. “We hope we don’t have to go back to that. Everyone worked hard, and I applaud everyone involved. But, in my opinion, that is not what any of us signed up for and I don’t think we do it well … If that is what people wanted, they would have done online schooling before that.” 
Any patrons with questions or concerns are encouraged to email LaCroix at lacroixb@wcsd1.org or give the district office a call at 746-4451. 
School is currently scheduled to begin Aug. 26. LaCroix said the district will do everything possible to keep students, parents and staff informed as plans develop.