Most Northwoods public schools will return to five-day-per-week, in-person instruction this fall, a WXPR survey shows.
Schools have had to consider changing their learning models and in-person plans due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Wisconsin. No students have been in school since March, when the virus started taking hold in the state and Gov. Tony Evers closed schools.
In Northwoods counties, the wide majority of schools will offer in-person classes to all students every day. However, each of these schools says it will offer remote or virtual learning options for families uncomfortable with in-person classes.
Some schools, including Rhinelander, Tomahawk, Antigo, Hurley, Chequamegon, Phillips, and Wabeno, will have amended class schedules. Some include different plans for younger students and older students; others have students attending in-person fewer than five days per week.
All schools surveyed say their in-person operations will introduce enhanced health and safety measures to keep students and staff safe. Those measures include required face masks, social distancing, Plexiglas barriers between desks, staggered class schedules to limit interpersonal contact, smaller student cohorts, and more intense cleaning and sanitizing.
See the plans for your school below.
Antigo: Four days per week in-person instruction offered, with remote learning on Fridays. Family option for for full-time remote learning. Link to further information from school administration.
Arbor Vitae-Woodruff: Five days per week in-person instruction. Family option for virtual learning. Link to further information from school administration.
Chequamegon: Grades PK-5 will come back to campus in-person five days per week. Grades 6-12 will be split into two cohorts, alternating in-person and virtual education. Family option for full virtual learning.
Crandon: Five days per week in-person instruction. Family option for virtual learning. Link to further information from school administration.
Elcho: Five days per week in-person instruction. Family option for virtual learning. Link to further information from school administration.
Hurley: Five days per week in-person instruction. Family option for virtual learning. Link to further information from school administration.
Lac du Flambeau: Five days per week in-person instruction. Family option for remote learning.
Lakeland Union: Five days per week in-person instruction. Family option for virtual learning. Safety measures include required masks, Plexiglas barriers, and little locker usage.
Laona: Five days per week in-person instruction. Synchronous and asynchronous virtual options through Google Classroom and Google Meet. Link to further information from school administration and full return-to-school plan.
Mercer: Five days per week in-person instruction. Family option for virtual learning. Safety measures include students in a cohort with a teacher-to-student ratio of 12:1 or less. Link to further information from school administration and full return-to-school plan.
Merrill: Five days per week in-person instruction. Secondary grades have option of hybrid virtual and face-to-face instruction. Teachers will also provide initial virtual instruction in all elementary grades. Several virtual options.
Minocqua-Hazelhurst-Lake Tomahawk: Five days per week in-person instruction. Alternatively, families may choose a remote learning option.
North Lakeland: Five days per week in-person instruction. Backup plans for hybrid and online instruction. Home learning and virtual options available. Safety measures include social distancing and enhanced cleaning. Link to further information from school administration and full return-to-school plan.
Northland Pines: Five days per week in-person instruction offered. Options for families not ready to come in person include Personal Learning Plans (online) or Hybrid. Safety measures include social distancing, masks, and limiting groups into cohorts. Link to further information from school administration and full return-to-school plan.
Phelps: Five days per week in-person instruction. Families may also choose a blended model or full virtual. Safety measures include enhanced cleaning and sanitizing, PPE use, and Plexiglas dividers. Link to further information from school administration.
Phillips: Students through 8th grade will have in-person, on-campus learning four days per week with a virtual learning, independent work day for students on Wednesdays. High school students will not be on campus, but rather have real-time remote learning four days per week (with independent learning on Wednesdays). This includes 1-2 days of face-to-face, small group instruction. Also, all parents have the option of fully virtual learning for their children. Link to further information from school administration (Option B was selected).
Prentice: Five days per week in-person instruction. Family option for virtual learning. Safety measures include enhanced cleaning and sanitizing and PPE for students and staff. Link to further information from school administration.
Rhinelander: Elementary school students will have in-person, on-campus learning four days per week. Middle and high school students will be split into two groups, with each attending in-person two days and learning remotely three days. All students will work remotely on Wednesdays. All parents have the option of fully virtual learning for their children. Link to options under consideration and school board's August 12 decision.
Three Lakes: Five days per week in-person instruction. Family option for home-based personal education plan.
Tomahawk: Split model for students in grades PK4-5 and grades 6-12. Grades PK4-5 will attend five days per week in-person. Grades 6-12 will have a hybrid model, with two days per week in-person and three days per week remotely. Grades 6-12 will be split into two cohorts to reduce the number of students on campus during in-person days. Safety measures include social distancing and mandatory face masks. Full return-to-school plan.
Wabeno: Four days per week in-person instruction – Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Wednesdays reserved for teachers to catch up with families choosing to learn virtually. Mask requirement in buildings and on buses. Social distancing in the classroom.
White Lake: Five days per week in-person instruction offered. Blended option also offered, with in-person learning on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and remote learning on Mondays and Fridays. Fully remote learning also offered. Safety measures include Plexiglas barriers, social distancing, and hand sanitizing. Link to further information from school administration.
