Instead, with community members speaking in favor of a full-time return to classroom learning, school board members voted 5-0 to return to the classroom five days a week.
“It’s the beginning of our fourth quarter, which has always been the date that we said we would bring the kids back,” Superintendent Andrea Townsend said. “All of us want the kids here. We got vaccinated on Friday, so our full effect of our second vaccination will be on March 13.”
The 2-hour meeting drew 61 people, Townsend said.
Townsend said the school district is “very happy” to bring students back with new guidance that it received from Public Health-Dayton & Montgomery County.
Students who are learning remotely through the SchoolsPLP program, who represent about 20% of the district, will continue with their schedule, she said.
Prior to the vote, Townsend presented the board with a slideshow featuring information from Public Health, the Ohio State Department of Health and the Ohio State Board of Education. State testing mandates and how they will affect students also were discussed.
Reaction to the vote on social media mainly saw parents and others praising West Carrollton School District for making the decision to bring students back on a full-time basis, but some said it was not a good idea to do so before the rate of COVID-19 cases was more greatly reduced.
For months, most West Carrollton students have been on a hybrid model where they are in school two days a week and learn remotely the other three days.
Townsend said the school district does plan to hold a prom and a graduation ceremony. A survey recently sent to students asked if they would participate in a formal dinner for prom if it was a dinner-only, senior-only event.
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