Riverside Brookfield High School Switches From Hybrid Model To All Remote Learning
RIVERSIDE (CBS) -- Riverside Brookfield High School on Friday reversed course on its courses, deciding to switch to an all e-learning model to start the school year instead of a planned hybrid approach.
School administrators, teachers and parents held a meeting Friday afternoon and decided to make the change for the first quarter. Under the hybrid model, students would have attended school on some days and learned remotely on others. Under that original plan, students and staff would have been screened, including a temperature check, before entering the school each day.
Superintendent Dr. Kevin Skinkis says state health department guidelines for reopening keep changing, and are hard to keep up with.
"As things began to evolve, it just got to a point where it was unmanageable," he said.
Students will still have in-person orientation, with freshman attending Monday, sophomores Tuesday, juniors Wedneday and seniors on Thursday. Friday will be a planning day for teachers. School starts August 24.
Teachers will still report to classrooms and teach their classes virtually from there. There are about 1,600 students enrolled at the high school.
Dan Bonarigo, president of the Riverside Brookfield Education Association, said: "We just had too many questions, too many concerns about the ability to manage the process."
The Illinois Department of Public Health released the following statement:
The Illinois Department of Public Health has been working closely with the Illinois State Board of Education, local health departments and school districts to identify how to reduce the risk of exposure for students and teachers, while balancing the need for learning. As with any novel virus, science and research are constantly evolving and our guidance must change with it. Additionally, no two school districts are the same and our guidance seeks to account for the vast diversity of Illinois' 852 school districts. As we continue to face down this unprecedented pandemic, IDPH will continue to prioritize the health and safety of people across Illinois.
