Majority of parents in Midlands school district comfortable with kids back in class
Parents in one Midlands school district feel prepared for whatever the coronavirus throws their way this school year.
Families in Lexington-Richland 5 shared their thoughts in a district-wide survey conducted by the school district, and most expressed confidence in their ability to restart the school year despite the COVID-19 pandemic. School board members reviewed the results of the survey on Tuesday.
In all, 80.4% of parents responded to the survey between July 24 and Aug. 5, or 13,700 responses.
Most were comfortable sending their children back to school under the district’s hybrid reopening plan. Sixty-five percent said they would opt for in-person classes, while 32.4% said they would opt for the virtual learning program.
Under Lexington-Richland 5’s reopening plan, schools will eventually reopen under a hybrid plan that will have students learning on campus two days a week and three days online. Students from sixth to 12th grades will be divided into two cohorts by last name, and alternate days on and off campus to facilitate social distancing. Every student will take online classes on Wednesdays.
For students in kindergarten through fifth grade, they will stay in their homeroom class. If needed for some courses, teachers will change classrooms.
Separately, 2,576 district employees were polled between July 29 and Aug. 5 for their feelings about returning to work. Sixty-four percent expressed no preference; 13.9 percent expressed a preference for virtual assignments, but said they could work in-person if needed. Another 7.9% said they were in a high-risk group for health complications from COVID-19; 6.5% said they were limited by child care options; 3.9% did not have the option of going virtual; and 3.7% said they had a family member with an at-risk condition.
The Lexington-Richland 5 board previously voted to start classes Sept. 8, the day after Labor Day.
The survey indicated that 98% of households in the district have reliable internet access for virtual classes. But for those who indicate they don’t have internet and are 250% below the poverty line, the district will make wi-fi hot spots available for at least the first semester of the school year. The district is also reaching out to businesses that would be available for students to use public wi-fi when necessary.
Superintendent Christina Melton said an estimated 293 families would need hot spots this school year, but the district has ordered 600 hot spots, so enough should be available for students when school begins.
“If we’ve got one family that is not connected, we need to engage with that family by whatever means we need to do that,” Melton said.
This story was originally published August 11, 2020 at 11:27 AM.
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