Geneva moms seek 500 petition signatures to open schools

GENEVA – More than 360 parents in Geneva District 304 have signed on to an electronic petition that urges officials to open up the schools for five-day, in-person learning.

The district currently has a hybrid model where students go to school on alternate days and have remote learning on other days.

“There is a lot of passion in the community about the topic,” said Kelsey Haavig, a co-sponsor with her neighbor of the online petition at change.org. She has a son in kindergarten and a daughter in second grade at Williamsburg.

“So many parents are at their wits’ end, fighting with children, causing a very unpleasant family structure for those of us – mainly with little ones – who are missing out on such important social and emotional development,” Haavig said. “My son looks at the computer for two minutes and he’s gone. … At this point, we want five full days. … They’re figuring out how to make it work in Batavia.”

The goal of the petition drive is to achieve 500 signatures and get the issue on the agenda for the Jan. 25 school board meeting, she said.

“We’re trying to show the district that people really want their kids in school regardless of COVID. If it spikes again, then close the schools,” Haavig said. “But keep masks on, and social distancing.”

Haavig said she supports the parents whose children do full remote learning, and understands the fear the coronavirus pandemic has caused.

“I feel like everyone needs to do what makes them feel comfortable,” Haavig said. “What is happening now is not working. … Elementary kids are crying, screaming, breaking down. I say, ‘Let’s sit down and do schoolwork,’ and they break down. They can’t even fathom doing it.”

Superintendent Kent Mutchler stated in an email response that, “we certainly want our students back in school five days a week also, when it is safe to do so.”

“We have a responsibility to the health and safety of our entire school community and are following the social distancing guidelines – among other guidelines – which currently do not allow us to support full capacity in our buildings five days a week,” Mutchler’s email stated.

“We will continue to look for ways to provide quality learning opportunities to our students, and appreciate the flexibility, grace, and partnership of our school community while we continue to navigate a very difficult situation,” Mutchler’s email stated.