McHenry High School District 156 approves hybrid learning plan for in-person classes Nov. 4

The McHenry High School District 156 board on Thursday unanimously approved a plan to have students return to classrooms for two days a week starting Nov. 4 for the first time since COVID-19 shut educational facilities down in the spring.

"Congratulations, we're back," said school board president Gary Kinshofer after the vote to move forward.

Superintendent Ryan McTague at several points told board members and those viewing the meeting on a live stream that the virus could force the district to resume fully remote learning models, though, and the hybrid schedule featuring some in-person classes and some online learning was designed to be able to transition seamlessly.

District officials considered returning students to the high school campus Oct. 28, McTague said, but pushed back the date to better align with its feeder District 15, whose elementary and middle school students are set to start heading into classrooms Nov. 9 after a split vote by its board members earlier this week.

The later start date was chosen so there would be fewer days families with children in both districts, who may rely on older students to supervise their siblings during the work day, would have to find additional child care.

"That way there is only one day of difference now that families may have to find extra support or supervision for (younger children), including teachers," McTague said.

Freshmen in the high school district will be able to come in to school to get familiar with the campus and buildings on either Oct. 28 or 29, McTague said.

The high school district's plan includes splitting students into two groups to cut the in-person campus capacity about in half to accommodate social distancing.

Those with last names starting with A through La will attend in-person classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, while other students will attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with remote learning occurring for everyone on Fridays.

Students who are not scheduled for in-person classes would also be participating in live video streaming of in-person lessons and in remote learning earlier in the week. Any student can be taught fully remotely, if a student desires.

"I think, when we talk about COVID, and what has happened over these past eight months, it really has pushed education forward," McTague said. "I feel very good about our digital plan and how we've performed. The same thing will happen with our hybrid plan, it's going to take a little while. We'll have to troubleshoot some things in the beginning, but we will become very proficient."

Each student would receive about 12 days of in-person instruction before the end of the calendar year on the schedule approved by the board, and students would be getting dismissed from in-person classes before 1:30 p.m. at both McHenry High School East and West. Students will be able to visit teachers in office hours being held in afternoons, either in-person or remotely.

Digital learning might also take place on what would normally be snow days, Assistant Superintendent Carl Vallianatos said.

"We've been saying this all summer long as we've been training: treat all your students like digital students," Vallianatos said. "Because we don't know if we're going to be digital or hybrid, we don't know who is going to be able to come back to school, who gets sick, or who can't come back to school."