This past week, students were asked to submit their commitment forms for next semester. These will determine whether they will be returning to in-person learning or staying remote. There are questions as to why these forms needed to be turned in early in the semester, however it is all about time.

Originally, the forms were to be submitted sometime around Thanksgiving, but the district moved up the date in case the numbers of students returning to in-person would be higher than expected.

“We need time to look at the schedules of kids returning to figure out a plan,” Principal Matt Durst said. “We needed more time and didn’t want to be rushed.”

With the early submissions of the commitment forms, the district will be able to ensure the plan keeps students as safe as possible

Preliminary results of the survey suggest that more students are planning on returning to in-person, which means the district may need to consider a hybrid schedule. Currently, all options are on the table, including hybrid, although it will all come down to the numbers, according to Durst.

“If they can’t fit everyone safely in the class, we will be forced to go into hybrid,” Durst said. 

Numbers answer the question of why the school did not choose hybrid for the first semester. Durst calls it a “numbers game.” Not only was the school able to fit all in-person students safely in the school without doing hybrid, it was also the better option educationally.

“There is a loss of instruction time and teachers are only able to cover about 50-60% of what they would normally cover,” Durst said.

Some students are wondering if the option to switch from in-person to online will still be available second semester. The answer is yes, according to Durst. The option to switch from in-person to online will be the same as this semester.