Springfield schools return to five-day, in-person schedule after spring break
Claudette Riley
A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, Springfield schools will once again offer five days of in-person learning.
The change will occur March 22, as students return from spring break.
This week, the district met with the Springfield-Greene County Health Department to go over data and discuss next steps. The district will continue to require face coverings and hand washing.
In an email sent to employees, the district said it was appropriate to resume a regular schedule of learning.
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The district is currently operating a hybrid learning schedule for all grades with students learning virtually Wednesday and in person Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
That schedule will end this week. Classes are in session through Thursday. Friday is a staff work day — without students in the buildings — and spring break is next week.
A year ago, after the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in Missouri, Springfield and other districts dismissed for spring break. Initially, the break was extended and then the districts moved to virtual or alternative ways of teaching.
A smattering of districts waded back into in-person learning, in smaller numbers, during the summer.
The 2020-21 school year started with a range of options. Districts offered fully in-person, fully online and different types of hybrid learning schedules.
Springfield's hybrid set-up called for half of the in-person students Monday and Tuesday and the other half Thursday and Friday. Buildings were closed Wednesday to allow for extra cleaning.
Elementary, middle and preschool students were the first to resume in-person learning four days a week, followed this year by high schools.
Students signed up for the fully virtual option will continue to learn online for the rest of the school year.
Currently, 85 percent of elementary and 80 percent of middle school students are signed up for in-person learning.
At the high school level, 75 percent are learning in person two days a week — Monday and Tuesday or Thursday and Friday.
More:Jordan Valley Community Health announces COVID-19 vaccine clinics for March 9 to 11
The district said free COVID-19 testing will also continue to be offered to symptomatic students and staff.
In the Tuesday email, the district reminded employees the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still advises against travel, even for the fully vaccinated.
Tracking cases
The district posts a weekly tally of new COVID-19 cases each Monday. It breaks out the number for students and employees. The weekly tally has been dropping since the start of 2021.
- Jan. 9 — 76 students, 31 employees
- Jan. 16 — 50 students, 33 employees
- Jan. 23 — 44 students, 21 employees
- Jan. 30 — 46 students, 12 employees
- Feb. 6 — 39 students, 4 employees
- Feb. 13 — 21 students, 5 employees
- Feb. 20 — 8 students, 1 employee
- Feb. 27 — 11 students, 6 employees
Claudette Riley is the education reporter for the News-Leader. Email news tips to criley@news-leader.com.