Cheney starts fall online

CHENEY – The school district board of directors voted unanimously on Aug. 3 to begin the 2020-2021 school year with most students taking part in the remote learning phase of the district’s proposed six-step plan for reopening.

Under this stage three of the plan, students in the greatest need of support (educational justice) may participate onsite with in-person instruction.

The board also approved a new calendar for the school year, dividing the 180 days of instruction into four separate but unequal quarters and pushing back the opening of school from Sept. 2 to Sept. 8.

Superintendent Rob Roettger said thinking had “evolved” over the past several weeks as administrators, teacher, staff and parents on various committees began the process of how to reopen in the midst of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Roettger said in a worst-case scenario, he felt K-5 students would be on campus while students in grades 6-12 would be in a hybrid instruction situation.

Community response to a survey in June indicated 70 percent of respondents preferred onsite/in-person instruction, followed by a desire for a K-12 hybrid split schedule of in-person instruction with online learning and then K-5 onsite learning with a grades 6-12 hybrid. That changed in a survey conducted in July, with 41 percent expressing a desire for in-person learning, 30 percent for a hybrid and 23 percent for full-time online.

“The point of that second parents survey at the end of July, middle of July, was to gauge how’s everybody changing their thinking because we were sensing that from the community,” Carol Lewis, director of data and assessment, said. “By far the most people across the board shifted their thinking to maybe a hybrid the best option. Many people also said a full-time distance learning would be my preference.”

According to information presented at Monday’s meeting, about 55 percent switched between June – July to desire for a hybrid model while 32 percent transitioned to fully online. A survey of classified and certificated staff also indicated inclinations away from in-person instruction, with 41 percent of both preferring a hybrid model and 36 percent of certificated and 29 percent of classified indicating a desire for fully online.

Over the past few weeks as positive cases, hospitalizations and deaths rose in Spokane County, the district began looking more closely at going fully online. In an Aug. 3 letter to school districts, Spokane Regional Health District health officer Dr. Bob Lutz, citing these rising numbers, strongly urged districts to consider “beginning the year in remote/continuous learning for all students” with in-person instruction “for those who have special health or education needs that cannot be effectively delivered through remote learning.”

Within just a couple hours of the letter, both Spokane and Central Valley school districts announced they would be starting fall with fully online instruction.

“As we look at the information from the Department of Health, it’s just pointing to a direction that best case scenario at this point for the safety of our staff and our students and our families and our community is to open in a remote situation,” Roettger said. “It’s painful for me to say that. Our students and staff want to be on campus. Our families want to be on campus.”

A full plan for a reopening in stages will be presented at the Aug. 12 board meeting. Preliminary information presented Monday night revealed the six proposed phases: fully online learning in stage one, fully online learning with staff accessing the buildings in phase two and fully online with students in the greatest need of support (educational justice) receiving in-person instruction in phase three.

Phase four would include learning under a hybrid model for students K-5 along with those in phase three while phase five would have these students and staff participate in in-person instruction five days a week, with and online/in-person hybrid for 6-12. Phase six is a full return to in-person instruction while following state required guidance for minimizing the spread of the disease.

In making the recommendation to the board, Roettger acknowledged the decision will cause pain to families and the community, but stressed the importance of a larger need above all.

“We have to look at the health and safety of our staff, students and community first and foremost,” Roettger added.

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.