The Burrell School Board has decided to delay the start of school by a week, moving the first day of school for students from Sept. 1 to Sept. 8.

Earlier this month, the board agreed to offer student families the choice of venue for their children’s education for 2020-21: live in the classroom, live virtual classes, Burrell’s eAcademy cyber school or an outside cyber school.

The district is still waiting for and working with new technology, Superintendent Shannon Wagner said.

Teachers just received their Chromebooks on Tuesday and they are asking for more time, she said.

“We are asking them to tread waters not typical in a cyber school,” Wagner said.

The teachers and its union asked the district for the delay as they work with new technology to teach classes in district buildings and virtually, she said. More time is also needed to work with technology and equipment for classes and find storage for excess classroom furniture.

“A little more time would help resolve these issues,” Wagner told the board.

There are practicalities such as finding more space to store tables and other furniture in classrooms to make room to space desks as far apart as possible, Wagner. A gym in the middle school is already packed with furniture, she said.

School board members were understanding of the changes and challenges to re-open school. The pandemic is having a “snowball effect” on preparations and changes that one can’t always anticipate, school board members said.

If teachers are not comfortable with the technology and if there are issues, student interest could decrease, they said.

No matter how long it takes, students and their families are looking for quality instruction, school board members said.

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