After an approximately 45-minute-long, sometimes heated discussion, the Hillsboro R-3 Board of Education voted 4-3 Tuesday evening (Jan. 5) to expand the number of days students in kindergarten through 12th grade may attend in-person classes from two to four a week. The change will take effect at the start of the second semester on Jan. 19.
When the change is made, students will attend classes on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. They will learn virtually from home on Wednesdays.
Families still will have the option for their children to learn completely online at home.
For the first semester, about 80 percent of district students have been enrolled in the hybrid system, learning at school two days a week and remotely at home the other three days. The other approximately 20 percent have been taking classes entirely online.
Board members who voted to expand the number of classroom days from two to four included Rob Kruse, Jon Schuessler, Angie Oshia and Erick Stephenson. Those who voted against the change were Lisa Welker, Renee Sucharski and Beth Petry.
Board members repeatedly spoke about how difficult the decision was to make because they could see merit in both sides of the issue. Former teachers Petry and Welker, however, said they were focused on the health and safety of teachers, staff and students, while Kruse and Schuessler said they were worried about students falling behind in their studies because of problems with virtual learning.
Sucharski said she was worried about the new fast-spreading type of COVID-19 that has arrived in the U.S. and how that may affect the situation.
Superintendent Jon Isaacson, who recommended the switch to a four-day in-school week schedule, said all their concerns must be addressed.
“Our hope in bringing (students) back at four days a week is it will allow for the highest possible care both academically and for their social and mental health,” he said.
The meeting took place via the Zoom videoconferencing platform, which the public could view.
