In-Person Learning Opportunities/Participation for Remainder of 2020-2021 School Year

April 30th, 2021

Now that the hybrid model is in full operation, HCPSS schools have determined that limited space remains available to allow additional students to participate in in-person learning during the current school year. Each school will continue to work toward filling all available capacity by inviting additional students to return to the school building for two or five days per week. This process will consist of school review of student data and existing wait lists as well as consideration of parent/guardian requests, as described below.

Each school will make every effort to enable as many students as possible to benefit from in-person opportunities while maintaining existing instructional and operational protocols as part of the HCPSS Hybrid Instructional Model.

Factors

Each school’s available capacity is dependent on these factors:

• Space must be sufficient to adhere to health and safety protocols and social distancing guidelines in classrooms, buses, and cafeterias and other eating spaces.
• A school’s ability to accommodate a student may vary by grade, classroom, and individual student schedule, because sufficient capacity must be available in every class that a student participates in, as well as on the bus and in the cafeteria.

School Process

School leaders will follow this process to encourage additional in-person participation.

• Schools will analyze student data to identify students currently participating virtually who would benefit from a return to in-person instruction, as well as current A/B (2 days/week) group students who would benefit from five days of in-person instruction based on the eligibility criteria listed below.
• Schools will evaluate whether capacity is available for each identified student based on the factors listed above, and invite as many students as possible to transition to two or five day in-person instruction as quickly as possible.
• Schools will also review parent/guardian requests for student 2- or 5-day participation (5-day eligibility is determined through the criteria listed below). The school will review each request and invite as many students as possible based on capacity availability.

The eligibility criteria for 5-day in-person participation includes students having one or more of these attributes:

• Receiving special education services
• Previously participated in a School-Based Learning Center
• Identified as needing additional learning support based on attendance, engagement, academic performance, social-emotional well-being, internet connectivity, and/or homelessness

Parent Requests

Parents/guardians who wish to request that their child be considered for in-person return for either two or five days per week for the current school year, should email the school no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, May 7, 2021. Schools will review each request for capacity availability in the classroom(s), bus, and cafeteria, and will contact the parent/guardian as soon as it is determined whether their child will be able to participate.

Each school will provide additional information to families over the next several days. Additional information is provided in the Superintendent’s remarks during the Work Session at the April 29, 2021 Board meeting.