ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — The Rock Island-Milan School District wants to hear from parents with questions about transitioning to blended learning in a few weeks.
The district's schools have been virtually empty of students, as the district started the 2020-2021 year completely online amid the coronavirus pandemic.
That changes on Oct. 19 when students come back from their fall break. A majority of students will attend school a few days a week in-person.
"I think as a district, we're about prepared as we can be," Superintendent Dr. Reginald Lawrence says. "We still know there's a lot of uncertainty, especially when you hear about what's happening in some of the school districts, even up until last weekend or this weekend, that are in close proximity. But our buildings are prepared. We've done a lot of cleaning and sanitization. We've got signage and our processes in place."
Parents can ask any questions they have about this transition Tuesday, Sept. 29 on a Zoom call from 6:30-7:30 p.m. There's another chance Wednesday, Sept. 30 from 11:30-12:30 p.m.
"There's not a perfect answer to it," Dr. Lawrence says. "I think school districts across the country, including ours, are trying to meet the needs of students and continue educating students in our most normal way possible. I say to all of them that the times are dictating how education has to pivot and how we have to move forward."
Dr. Lawrence says they'll consider bringing all students back as the year goes on. He says that'll depend on how the Quad Cities continues to handle the virus.