By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
K-12 school districts across the state received an extensive document Wednesday evening outlining the plan for students’ continued learning despite school buildings being shut down. Governor Laura Kelly made the announcement that schools would close the rest of the semester in response to the coronavirus epidemic.
USD 428 is getting a feel for what the continued learning will look like for Great Bend students for the final eight weeks of the spring semester that need to be fulfilled.
Superintendent Khris Thexton says the plan of action will look different for every district.
"These are guidelines," Thexton said. "We get to adjust this to fit Great Bend. Not every school will look the same. We will use this time to get the school year wrapped up kids and they are ready for the new year in August."
USD 428 staff will have a better idea of the district’s plan next week.
Ideas that were thrown around included online options for students, but with not every family having access to internet, that created barriers. The task force that formed the plan mentioned they took the internet issue into consideration and are encouraging school districts to work with local internet service providers to what options are available.
For seniors, the continued learning will look slightly different. The Kansas State Department of Education is waiving the requirement for high schools seniors to attend a minimum of 1,086 hours of school.
Thexton says as of now, the high school graduation commencement for May 17 is off, but hopes the district will still be able to honor the seniors.
"Maybe we do it (graduation) later down the road," Thexton added. "It may be an odd time that it comes up but we want to see kids walk across that stage. How that looks, we do not know yet."
Thexton says right now, the district staff is trying to get their hands around what this going to look like and to best serve their kids.