Yorktown Schools Eye Mid-April Return for All Students
If everything goes as planned, all students in the Yorktown School District will be allowed back in the classroom by mid-April.
Yorktown Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ron Hattar optimistically talked about the plan of action last week as parents take part in a survey of their preference for educating their children the rest of the school year.
“Our goal from the beginning was to get as many students back in the classroom as possible,” Hattar said. “We’re excited to welcome our students back. I think our students need this.”
Currently, between 40 and 45 percent of high school students are learning fully remotely. In the middle school, 25 percent of students have chosen to remain at home. Moving forward, Hattar said the hybrid model of partial remote and partial in-person instruction will no longer be an option.
“We will keep everyone that comes in our buildings safe,” Hattar stressed. “There are many moving parts to the reopening. It seems like a very overwhelming task. We want to be very careful and strategic with the reopening. We’re cautiously optimistic.”
While Hattar conceded students returning to the classroom will not be six feet apart, he said each desk will have a protective plexiglass and masks will be required at all times. The plexiglass barriers are slated to be installed the week of March 22.
Hattar said kindergarten students are set to return on March 23. By April 12, all students in first through fourth grades will be eligible. By April 19, students in fifth through 12th grade will have the green light.
“It’s not the timeline that we hoped,” Hattar said. “In order for us to be successful we have to work together on this. This is bigger than our schools. This is a community effort.”
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