Freeport Area School District moves to in-person instruction 4 days a week

Freeport Area School District on Thursday voted to allow students in-person instruction four days a week, with Fridays serving as an online instruction day.

The plan will go into effect on Oct. 13.

Students were previously learning in a hybrid model, in which they could be in-person twice a week. This came after beginning the academic year entirely remote.

Students still have the option to continue fully remote learning if they choose.

“I simply want you to know, although it’s not the administrative recommendation, that we will be ready,” Superintendent Ian Magness told the school board and parents at the meeting. “We will welcome back our kids into a safe environment.”

Moving to in-person instruction could come with drawbacks, Magness said. He warned that fuller classrooms pose the risk of more quarantined students in the event of a positive covid-19 diagnosis.

Last week, Freeport Area School District confirmed a covid-19 case in their athletic staff that forced the cancellation of that week’s football game. They also reported a covid-19 case in the middle school staff.

“We have to be accepting to get that phone call that your child is now quarantined,” Magness said.

Several parents also voiced opinions on the issue during the meeting.

Some parents argued that they felt comfortable sending their students to emptier classrooms two days a week, but not full-time. They argued their students would lose the two days of in-person instruction they have now if they’d switch back to the remote option.

Several parents said the hybrid model wasn’t working. They argued that the technology was causing problems in submitting assignments and causing unnecessary stress for students. Some said they were having a hard time helping their children with remote learning three days a week while juggling jobs. Mental health was another top concern, as parents described tearful attempts at navigating virtual platforms.

Jennifer Anderson of Buffalo Township said her daughter is a senior. She’s worried her daughter will be behind in college next year if the quality of education is lacking with the current hybrid modality.

“I — and many other senior parents — would like to see our children get as much in-person instruction as possible before being thrown into college,” she told the school board. “Hybrid is not working for most. They’re not learning as they should. Our children have lost six months of critical education.”

Thursday’s vote seemed to recognize the concerns of parents who claim quality of education and mental health are slipping. These concerns have been echoed at school board meetings since early September, when the board rejected a proposal to send students back full-time earlier.

“Everyone can hopefully stay safe and stay healthy,” John Haven, president of the school board, said after Thursday’s decision.

Magness urged families to go into this new phase with compassion and understanding.

“Our school community, when people do get sick, when they do get identified as a case, we need to be better as a school community in supporting that child or that family — rather than blaming them for being quarantined, rather than blaming them for something getting cancelled,” he said, noting that these issues have already cropped up in the district.

The school board said families will receive updated guidance regarding attendance and absenteeism to address students staying home if they have covid-19 symptoms or are required to quarantine, as well as students who experience technical difficulties while engaging in remote learning.