The WSSD held its usual meeting last night. The meeting can be found on Youtube here, and the agenda and documents can be found in board notes online here.

Both focus topics concerned the plans to return to full in-person education for all students currently attending as part of the hybrid plan. They sort of rolled together into one presentation though really.

Student, superintendent and board announcements

• SRS had a well-attended bingo night and is selling cookie decorating kits
• SHMS is having world language week
• The upcoming SHMS play is the Secret Garden
• The SHHS biotech club has been running labs with the 5th grade Online Academy Students.
• The Youth Activist and GSA clubs have been active at the high school
• Other programs mentioned were virtual volunteer tutoring in Chester County and the freshman mentoring program
• The superintendent repeated the information from her last email about teacher vaccinations and the return to school for elementary school students.
• The board announcements concerned the expected hire of a new superintendent. They are still on track to announce a hire in April with a starting date in June.

Focus Topics

The principals first presented the results of surveys of middle school and high school parents regarding their choices for Online Academy or in person instruction.

• Middle school current enrollment is 309 Online Academy and 563 in person.
• New middle school enrollment is projected to be 266 Online Academy and 606 in person.
• High school current enrollment is 596 Online Academy and 645 in person.
• New high school enrollment is projected to be 480 Online Academy and 761 in person.
• The middle school will be able to have 4-6 foot spacing in most classrooms, but some will be 3 foot. Some classrooms may have satellite rooms for additional student spacing.
• Due to the large number changing choice in the high school, they are still working out the spacing, but currently more than 30 classes would have spacing <6′. Lunch is also a difficulty for high school as 6′ spacing is required for meal times.

The health and safety assurance presentation had only minor new details. The clear plastic cubby shields being used in the elementary schools are still being considered for the other schools.

The timeline for return to school was presented, the full presentation should be up on the district’s website today:

• March 15-17 are elementary transition days, hybrid students will be asynchronous.
• March 18-19 are the first days of in person for elementary school students, 4 1/2 in person per week.
• March 25-26 are parent-teacher conferences for elementary schools, no school for students.
• March 29-April 2nd is spring break, no school
• April 9th is a transition day for the middle and high school, students will be asynchronous
• April 12th is the first day of in person school for middle and high school students, 4 days a week.
• May 3-21 is the PSSA testing window, the state is requiring tests done this year. Online Academy students will have to take the tests in person at the schools.
• May 24 – the elementary and middle schools schedule changes to 5 days a week.
• May 26 – keystone testing window begins
• June 1 – High school schedule changes to 5 days a week.

The initial schedule for elementary school students is 4 1/2 days per week with synchronous virtual school on Wednesday afternoons. School on Wednesdays will be 8:45 AM to 12:30 PM, with no lunch served. AM kindergarten is 8:45-10 and PM kindergarten is 11:15-12:30. Middle and high school students will go 4 days a week with Wednesday mornings being synchronous online and Wednesday afternoons being asynchronous. All schools will eventually transition to 5 day a week once testing is completed.

The school board then voted on these plans with no further discussion as part of their usual business. Everything passed 9-0.