Columbia Board of Education to vote on return to learn; parents await decision
COLUMBIA, Mo.
The Board of Education is set to vote on an in-person four-day week learning model on Monday for Columbia Public Schools to return to classrooms, while parents await to see how the decision could impact their families.
Peter Stiepleman, CPS Superintendent proposed the plan to the board during a special session on Tuesday, Oct. 6th and the board is set to vote on which option CPS will continue with at 6:30 p.m. on Monday.
The four-day week plan would allow the district to prepare for additional 14-day closures, the schools buildings would be cleaned on wednesdays and it would allow for essential training like the reading program.
Stiepleman said social distancing in classrooms would not be possible.
The plan also helps keep teachers from being stretched too thin and helps parents who say they would lose child care with a two day per week plan.
If approved by the board, elementary students could return to the classroom as early as next Monday, Oct. 19th. Middle school students would return to in-person learning on Nov. 5th and high school students on Jan. 19th.
Late in September, a CPS parent spoke about what it's been like having to juggle work ad her child in school at home.
“Whenever I get home,” said Mary Earnhart, a CPS parent. “What I'm usually doing is, they're saying, ‘Come figure this out. We don't know and he doesn't know what they said. Look at the schedule, look at all this work.’ And then I'm usually playing catch up for the stuff that isn't figured out while I'm not there.”
Another CPS parent had to stop working full time in order to stay home with his children while they learn remotely.
He said what the board decides on Monday could have a large impact on what he and his family are able to do next as two of his three children are in elementary school but his other child is in middle school.
“It would open up an opportunity to have more income coming into our household,” said John Potter, a CPS parent. “Would it be full time? Probably not, but it is encouraging to a certain extent that it is a step forward. It's definitely a long time coming, and I think it could be a lot faster and I wish that they were opening up all the schools. And for all the children in all grades but we are just trying to take what we can get.”
ABC 17 News does plan to have a news team at the meeting to give updates on what the board decides.
