Marshfield School Board Hears Concerns From Parents Regarding Virtual Learning

Thursday, February 11th, 2021 -- 9:01 AM

(WDLB) Members of Marshfield's Board of Education last night took verbal and written comments from more than a dozen parents and students, urging them to put kids back in classrooms full-time.

Clorissa Schmitt is the parent of a high school sophomore and a 7th grader at the middle school who wants her kids back in the classroom sooner rather than later. Ryan Kanitz told the board he wants his junior, freshman and 7th grader back in school, all day every day.

Angela Faber, a mother of five school-age kids, called virtual learning "disappointing to say the least".  Jenna Holt is a full-time virtual student right now, because she has a compromised immune system, and she works part-time at a hospital with many susceptible elderly patients.

District officials and board members said after the meeting they are working out the details of a back-to-school plan, and they do anticipate some sort of change coming up, but don't know how soon that will be and that those plans cannot be finalized just yet.

In a message to high school students and families posted to the district's website last Friday, February 5th, administration officials said they were exploring options to shift from the current 25-percent capacity limit to a 50-percent capacity model, with students split into two groups and attending in-person classes every other day, the same model the middle school has used all year.

Right now, district officials say the implementation of that plan could coincide with the start of the fourth quarter on March 24th.

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