At a special School Board meeting on May 6, Superintendent Haas will be making his recommendation to the School Board on how schools should operate next August when the 2021-22 school year begins. To make the most informed recommendation possible, we are beginning the process of gathering information from families and staff.

Tomorrow, families across the school division will receive an initial survey on their early preferences for summer programming and next year’s instructional model.

The survey’s first section will ask families to share their initial thoughts about next school year. This will give us an early indication of how many families wish to attend school in person next year and how many are planning to remain virtual. Responses to this portion of the survey are not binding and will be used only for informational purposes as Dr. Haas considers his recommendation to the School Board. The Board could decide on how schools will deliver instruction to students next school year as early as their May 13 meeting.

In addition, parents of students in grades K-8 will be asked to indicate whether they are interested in their child attending summer school, which will be held July 6-30. Students will be able to attend an academic enrichment session in the morning and/or a program in the afternoon centered around health and physical fitness. Information from this portion of the survey will be used to complete program and staffing plans.

Staff input is an important part of this process as well. When we return from Spring Break, all division staff members will be provided with an opportunity to share their thoughts on summer programming and our reopening plan for the fall.

Despite the challenges of a very complex year, the division has transitioned well and safely from Stage 1, with all instruction virtual, through Stage 4, with more than 8,000 students in our schools. A valuable part of the credit for this success has been the participation of families and staff who have faithfully contributed to an inclusive and proactive planning process. This participation will continue to be invaluable in meeting the most important needs of students, families and staff this summer and fall.