The Anchorage School Board will hold a special meeting on Monday to consider delaying the superintendent’s school start plan, which would bring some elementary students back for in-person classes on Nov. 16.
The meeting begins at 5 p.m., and the delay of a return to in-person classes is the only agenda item, according to an announcement from Katy Grant, school board executive assistant.
The number of coronavirus cases in Alaska has surged in recent weeks, breaking statewide records for new cases per day and for hospitalizations of people with COVID-19.
Anchorage School District Superintendent Deena Bishop announced a plan last month to begin phasing students back into school buildings for in-person classes, starting with pre-kindergarten through second grade, and high-needs special education students through sixth grade. So far, Bishop has remained steadfast that the plan should go forward.
But the school board has heard outcry from community members, including teachers, school nurses and parents, who are leery of returning the district’s youngest students to in-person classes while the pandemic hits new highs.
Bishop has said that the district is missing a critical learning window for its youngest and most vulnerable students. She has also pointed to deteriorating mental health among students and struggling families as pivotal issues tipping the scales in favor of opening schools.
Critics of Bishop’s plan say it is too risky because the long-term effects of the coronavirus are not yet known, and the lives of teachers, students and their families will be at risk. They also worry that proper social distancing will not be possible because schools vary in their preparedness, due to differences in class size, room size, ventilation and resources.
As of Nov. 5, the district had 33 active coronavirus cases with 188 people in quarantine after having close contact with a COVID-19-positive person, according to data shared by spokeswoman Lisa Miller.
Some school board members have voiced support for Bishop’s plan, while others have also questioned the timing. At a meeting last week, school board member Andy Holleman suggested that the board consider a motion to postpone general education classes until January, after the holiday season, but his motion to consider a postponement was struck down.
The board instead set a special meeting for Monday to consider postponing the district’s plan, and will provide an hour for public testimony at the beginning of the meeting, with another period for public testimony at the end.
Bishop and the school district administration have the authority to open schools, but the school board could intervene with a vote.
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November 09, 2020 at 08:59AM
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Anchorage School Board to consider delaying plan to return some students to classrooms - Anchorage Daily News
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