Oswego School District superintendent shares information on plans to re-open schools

Oswego School District 308 Superintendent Dr. John Sparlin released a video message Wednesday, encouraging parents, students and the district's staff to watch the Sept. 28 meeting of the Board of Education for more information on the district's plan for returning to in-person education.

All of the district's teachers and 16,800 students have been in participating in remote learning since the start of the 2020-2021 school year Aug. 24. The Board of Education voted 5-2 Aug. 3 to begin the school year remotely due to health concerns resulting from the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

In his message, published to social media and the district's website, Sparlin referenced numerous calls and communication from parents and students regarding the district's current Remote For All learning plan.

"Some of you have shared that remote learning is going great and some have shared just the opposite. I know our current situation isn’t ideal. We all wish we were physically in school, experiencing all that in-person learning has to offer that remote learning cannot," Sparlin said.

The district will be presenting its plan for returning to in-person education at the Sept. 28 meeting of the Board of Education, he continued.

Calling the plan "Both phased in and methodical," Sparlin confirmed that families will still have the option to continue with fully-remote learning, "If that setting is most appropriate for your student(s)."

"The plan will detail the stages and timing of resuming in person learning, along with the metrics we are basing the safety of our plan on," he continued. "We understand that most of our students, staff and parents are eager to see kids back in classrooms very soon. However we want to be sure that we have prepared a plan that is sustainable, so we can remain safely in school.

"We are building a structure that supports the many mandates and best practices encouraged to keep students and staff safe while at school. Social distancing, small classes, face coverings, classroom layout, daily screenings and many other detailed components of our safety plan have been created to make the school environment as safe as possible."

He added, "During this extraordinary time, we are planning, adapting, and responding to situations we have never before experienced. Each decision we make is grounded in the best interest of our students and staff, meeting their educational needs in the safest way possible."

The OSD 308 Board of Education will meet at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 28 in the Community Room of Oswego East High School. The meeting will be livestreamed on the district website, www.sd308.org.