Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. is considering using its hybrid model as a way to return some students to in-person learning.
The model, which was added to the school corporation’s reopening plan in October, uses the state’s color-coded map for different levels of community spread to recommend different actions for BCSC. It suggests utilizing hybrid learning for secondary schools if there is moderate to high community spread (orange) and all schools if there is high community spread (red).
The hybrid learning model splits students into two groups by last name. Students with surnames A-K would attend in person on Monday and Tuesday and do eLearning Wednesday through Friday. Students L-Z would do eLearning Monday through Wednesday and attend in person Thursday and Friday.
Superintendent Jim Roberts said the school corporation is considering switching to a hybrid model, with elementary students returning to in-person five days a week and secondary students doing hybrid learning. He added that elementary and secondary students would still have the option to choose remote learning five days a week.
“As we look at Jan. 5, there may be parents that are saying, ‘The numbers are still too high for me. I’m still not comfortable with sending my student back to the building,’" he said. "We want to ensure that if we do go back to in-person, we have made sure that that remote learning option is made available to parents.”
Another piece being considered is how many students might choose remote learning at an elementary level. Enrollment forms for the school corporation’s BRIDGE remote learning option were recently sent out to parents of elementary school students, Roberts said.
The deadline to fill out these forms was Wednesday, and elementary school parents, if they enrolled their students in BRIDGE, were asked to commit to doing so "for all of the third nine weeks."
“We’re wanting people to commit to that," he said. "It’s hard to make staffing decisions if that number is constantly moving back and forth."
The school corporation has surveyed its elementary school teachers "to expand the pool of prospective teachers for BRIDGE," Roberts said.
"As we look at Jan. 5, we believe that we might have more students going back to BRIDGE if we start in person," he said. "That would mean we need more teachers in BRIDGE. What is our pool for that?”
The school corporation is also looking at how much prep time teachers would need to switch from district-wide eLearning to a different model of instruction.
Furthermore, staffing levels will play a role in whether or not the BCSC can use a hybrid model.
“The hybrid model allows us to maintain physical distancing," Roberts said. "You have half of your students in the building. It doesn’t change the number of staff that we would have. It’s one of the reasons we didn’t go straight to that model back at the beginning of November."
Roberts said that BCSC is having ongoing conversations with "state and local medical health professionals" as it examines its options for Jan. 5. He said that the school corporation will likely make a public announcement about its tentative plans soon.
“We look to have another statement out to our community, end of this week, first of next week, saying, ‘Here’s where we are today, and if we’re able to do it, this is what we’re going to do and put that in place," he said.
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BCSC’s hybrid model can be viewed on its website at bcscschools.org under "News Around the District."
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