(Updated 8:30 p.m. MDT, 8/3/2020)
Superintendent of Schools Bob Connors announced Monday he is recommending a blended learning plan to the Bozeman School Board as part of the Return To School Plan for the 2020-2021 school year.
Students who want to go entirely online can do so if they choose. For everyone else, in Step One, Connors is recommending students Pre-K through 12th grade alternate between on-campus and remote classes.
Connors is recommending students with the last name A-M be on campus Monday and Tuesday and online Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Those with last names M-Z would be on campus Thursday and Friday, and online Monday through Wednesday.
In order to move to Step Two, or the Cohort Model, administrators would work with the county to study 14 and 7-day positive COVID test trends in the county.
“We look back in May at the numbers in May, beginning of June, things were looking really good, that we would be in a cohort model or almost to the point that we would be back in a normal school day. However, our numbers don’t dictate that right now. Our numbers dictate that we go to this blended model,” Connors said.
Once the numbers are at the appropriate mark, administrators would reach out to parents and give them a three-week heads up about the transition into the next step.
Connors says kids who are 100% online can switch to the Cohort Model once the transition happens.
The School Board will be meeting Thursday at 9 a.m. to discuss the recommendations. The public will be invited to join the Zoom meeting.