In-person Learning Option for Secondary Students
Last night, the Salt Lake City School District Board of Education voted to move forward with an in-person learning option for secondary schools beginning on February 8, 2021. Under the proposal, presented last night by Interim Superintendent Larry Madden, secondary students would attend school two days a week. Wednesdays would remain a digital learning day, and high school students would have the flexibility to choose which classes to attend in person and which classes to attend remotely. These measures will help ensure manageable class sizes in some of the largest schools in the district.
Board President Melissa Ford said, “I’m thrilled we will be offering an in-person learning option for ALL students in the Salt Lake City School District. We’ve always expressed a desire as a Board to bring students back into the classroom as soon as we felt we could safely do so. We’ve continued to follow the science and have made data-driven, evidence-based decisions that make sense for our constituents here in Salt Lake City, even when the choice has been difficult. Last night’s local decision, made by our locally elected school board leaders, is no different. With COVID-19 mitigation strategies in place and vaccines rolling out to our educators and employees, I feel confident that we can safely execute this next step in our children’s education. I’m glad we can offer this choice to the families in our district who have been wanting this option for their students. And for families who wish to keep learning online, remote learning will continue to be a safe, quality learning mode.”
Board Vice President Nate Salazar added, “Providing an option for our families is important, and as a Board, we remain committed to doing everything we can to keep our employees and our teachers safe. The COVID-19 vaccine has been a game-changer, and my main priority in moving forward with an in-person learning option for all our students is to make sure we continue to prioritize health and safety while continuing to deliver a quality education to our students.”