Shorewood Approves Fall Back-To-School Plan

SHOREWOOD, WI — Students will be returning to school Sept. 8 in what district officials are calling a "Virtual +" model, after the school board unanimously approved the plan Tuesday night.

The Virtual+ model, which will require parents to come up with their own child care plan, will continue through at least the end of the first quarter on Nov. 6, officials said.

“The continued presence of COVID-19 in our region has altered all of our lives significantly and required our district to examine how to open schools safely while providing the high quality education all of our students deserve," Shorewood Superintendent Bryan Davis said in a statement.

District officials said the new plan is different from the "emergency learning" that happened once schools were ordered closed by Gov. Tony Evers during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the Virtual+ plan, there will be three main provisions:

Live Video Classes

Structured schedules for students to attend synchronous classes with teachers, along with time for teachers and students to check in on any questions and concerns that arise during the school year. Details of the new Virtual+ Learning schedules can be found in the attached report.

Scheduled In-person Access to Staff

Scheduled in-person access to school buildings and staff for small group and individual education, therapy, and counseling services. Strict safety precautions such as masks, social distancing, and the cleaning of indoor spaces between uses will be required when students and staff are on campuses.

Limited Student Supervision at School

Supervision at school for families who cannot be home during daytime virtual learning hours. Due to the District’s limited capacity, this service is only for students and families who have no other options for child supervision during the school day.

This article originally appeared on the Shorewood Patch