Decorah School District will start the year with a hybrid class model

Posted: Sun, Jul 26, 2020 11:00 AM

Decorah School Superintendent Mark Lane is announcing that given the current state of COVID-19 risk in the area, the Decorah School District will have a tiered reopening of its schools.

Beginning Monday, August 24th, and running through Friday, September 25th, students will attend school for on-site learning for at least half of their instruction during any two-week period. Students will be on-site either Monday and Tuesday or Thursday and Friday, and alternating Wednesdays, and will participate in remote continuous learning during any weekday they are not scheduled to be on-site.

Preschool through 8th grade students will be divided into two groups--Red Group and Blue Group. Red Group will attend on-site learning Monday and Tuesday each week, and alternate Wednesdays. Blue Group will attend on-site learning Thursday and Friday each week, and alternate Wednesdays. Students will engage in remote continuous learning any weekday they are not on-site.

Decorah High School 9th and 10th graders will attend on-site learning Monday and Tuesday each week, and alternate Wednesdays. Juniors and seniors will attend on-site learning Thursday and Friday each week, and alternating Wednesdays. Students will engage in remote continuous learning any weekday they are not on-site.

Red and Blue Group assignments will be purposefully built to keep families together. Final assignments will be communicated after registration is completed.

Upon boarding a school bus or entering a school building each day, all staff and students will be required to wear a face covering.

The Decorah School District will try to create outdoor learning opportunities. Students and staff will be allowed to remove their face coverings in these situations--if social distancing practices are followed.

Face coverings will be removed during breakfast and lunch.

All staff and students should conduct a health assessment prior to reporting to their assigned district building. Students experiencing fever or chills, coughing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea or other serious health issues must stay home.

Says the letter from Superintendent Lane, "If community and state COVID-19 conditions allow, we will consider transitioning to an On-site Learning Model beginning Monday, September 28th. We will work collaboratively with Winneshiek County Public Health to understand our current context as we make the determination if moving to full on-site learning is appropriate."

There will be a virtual community forum from 6:00 to 7:00 pm Thursday, July 30th in which further details of the plan will be shared and questions will be answered. A link will be available on the District homepage the day of the event. Please be aware attendance will be capped as allowed by our Zoom account limit. The forum will be recorded and posted to YouTube for later viewing. Attendance to the virtual forum will be monitored, and preference will be given to parents/guardians of Decorah CSD students.

The Decorah School Board is expected to hold a special meeting Monday, August 3rd, in order to vote on the reopening plan.