St. Louis Public School District is moving ahead with its reopening plan, with the focus on blending online and in-person learning.
The distriict is also planning to distribute either an iPad or a lap top to each student as it prepares for the new school year.
The district did not immediately respond to a series of questions related to reopening sent by the St. Louis Record, including whether there were any changes made to the plan since it was first revealed three weeks ago, or whether there were any difficulties sourcing computer equipment as some districts have found.
Dr. Kelvin Adams, SLPS Disrict superintendent, on launching the reopening plan, said: "This upcoming year, we will focus on reading, writing, arithmetic and resilience."
He added: "The pandemic has been disruptive for us all but particularly so for students and families who suddenly lacked the stability of school or access to needed resources.
"The committee reviewed and adjusted procedures to ensure nurses, counselors, and social workers will be equipped to support students’ specific needs during this time."
The plan calls for a "blended learning" model, remote, in school and a mix of the two. Each student is to receive an iPad or laptop.
In school, each desk will be three feet apart, while daily health and temperature screenings will be carried out on students and staff, who will be all tested prior to returning to work.
Face coverings will be mandatory for all staff and students aged nine and older.
Susan Pendergrass, director of research and education policy at the Show-Me Institute, in an op-ed for the Columbia Daily Tribune, said the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has only released health guidelines for reopening.
"Should we expect that all 520 school districts simply figure out a great plan on their own?," she asked.
"We should be making several easily accessed choices available to parents. At least one district, Maplewood-Richmond Heights, is allowing parents who want a virtual education for their children to enroll them with one of the state-approved virtual providers under the Missouri Course Access Program.
"Other districts should do the same. This is not a year for inventing things from scratch. Parents should also be able to easily choose in-person enrollment at a private school.
"There are a number of apps, such as Classroom Wallet, that the state could use to provide parents with funds to purchase tuition. This is not the year to settle the public-versus-private debate. This is a year to get kids back to learning."
An attorney for one of the state's largest education groups says school districts should be prepared to get sued, according to a report in the St. Louis Post Dispatch.
Attorney Susan Goldammer said school districts are shielded from most types of lawsuits, but there are exceptions when it comes to negligence, according to the publication.
"This is going to be a lawyer field day," said Goldammer, who works for the Missouri School Boards' Association.