Dallas switches to hybrid learning for school opening

DALLAS TWP. — Dallas School District has dropped previous plans to open with full in-person education for any student that wanted it, switching to a hybrid model that will split the students into two groups.

Group A would attend live, in-person Monday and Tuesday while Group B attends classes live online at the same time at home. On Thursday and Friday the groups would switch. Wednesday would be all online, with asynchronous learning.

The third option for students is the district cyber school, arranged through third-party companies supervised by district teachers.

Wednesdays will be home learning in part to give teachers time to update programs and lessons.

Superintendent Tom Duffy spent about two hours explaining the plan Monday evening and answering extensive questions through the Zoom virtual meeting before the board voted on the plan.

Some of the things he mentioned:

• Days in and out of school change when weeks are shorter, such as when students have Labor Day off, and a calendar has been drawn up and will be provided to parents soon.

• The district now has 3,000 Chromebook computers and will provide one to every student, who will use it in school and at home. The district plans to provide two power cords so the students have one at home and one in school and won’t need to bring them on the bus.

• Under recent state guidelines masks must be worn at all times except when eating. The district is letting parents and students decide what type of mask — unless new guidance comes out on types recommended.

• Outdoor “pavilion-like” tents will be set up during the warmer autumn months for lunch and other potential uses, helping give students more time in the fresh air.

• The asynchronous cyber school teaches the district curriculum, but not necessarily the same material at the same time as students in the hybrid program. Duffy said that students who signed up for the cyber school but want to move to the hybrid program should contact their principal as soon as possible. While the district will be flexible if students want to change to hybrid or cyber, Duffy encouraged those who sign up for cyber to stick with it because the transition to the hybrid program could be difficult due to the different pace in covering the curriculum.

• The plan splits hybrid students roughly in half alphabetically, but families and other factors are being considered, and adjustments can be made to accommodate parent concerns.

• The district is adjusting air control units to increase the flow of outside air in buildings.

• The district has contracted with third party to sanitize and disinfect the transportation fleet twice a day. Duffy noted there will be no more than half the students transported any day under the hybrid plan, and that in a parent survey nearly half the parents said they intend to use district service, with most looking for an alternative means to get their children to school.

• Parents of special education students will be contacted shortly to work out details for their students, with the possibility that some will be in school more often than two days a week to get the attention they need.

• Meals will still be provided to students who are studying at home.

When it came time to vote on “transportation and safety,” the agenda had the vote on hybrid school opening coupled with two other motions, but Board Member Ed Dudick opted to put the first two motions up for a vote together and put the hybrid vote up separately.

Board Member Pat Musto took several minutes to read a statement sharply critical of Gov. Tom Wolf and state Department of Health Secretary Rachel Levine for changing guidance for schools, and he accused Wolf of making the decisions for political purposes and ignoring science. He staunchly supported the need to get all students back in school.

Board Member Larry Schuler said he agrees that all students should be in school, and he conceded the hybrid plan will not satisfy all parents and students. But, he added, “I view the hybrid as a pathway to get us back to normal. It will be difficult, but these are difficult times.” He expressed faith in the district personnel and predicted the students “will rise up” to the challenge and “will be people we will be proud of.”

The plan passed 8-1 with Musto voting no.