About 10% of students choose online school

The Cedar Grove-Belgium School District elected to return to in-person school this fall during the Covid-19 pandemic but offer an option for students to learn online from home as well.

As of Wednesday morning, 99 students, or about 10% of the district’s enrollment, chose the online option.

The breakdown is nearly even between schools. At the elementary school, 28 students chose online. At the middle school, 33 took the option. The high school has 38 online students.

Families had a deadline of Aug. 14 to choose how they will attend school. Supt. Chad Brakke said 80 students elected the online option, and more have trickled in since.

The number of online students could change, he said.

“We have said that parents can change their minds so those numbers are fluid and will change as we move forward,” Brakke said.

Students learning from home will attend classes at the same time as their peers. New laptops and cameras with microphones were purchased to allow classes to be live streamed.

“We want everyone learning at the same pace,” Brakke said.

Students learning online at the elementary and middle school will be put into one or two teachers’ classes per grade. Those teachers haven’t been identified yet, Brakke said.

“The student who chooses the virtual option will be assigned to those teachers’ classes and live-streamed in,” he said.

A survey of district families this summer showed support for in-person school.

More than 70% of families preferred in-person school and 14% preferred a combination of in-person and online learning.

Less than 6% preferred online learning only.

The district held a question-and-answer session for parents a few weeks ago, and each school held its own sessions last week.

Several adjustments have been made to limit the spread of germs during the pandemic.

Two daily temperature checks of students will be done, and spaces are being cleared to isolate students who have a fever or are ill.

All the districts’ schools are in Sheboygan County but some of the students live in Ozaukee County. Brakke said Ozaukee and Sheboygan counties are working on a contact tracing plan for students who live in Ozaukee County.

Tuesday, Sept. 1, is the first day of in-person school for the district since Gov. Tony Evers closed schools in March.