( Cincinnati ) - "This has been the single most challenging decision that I think all of us have had to make," said Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education President Carolyn Jones in a meeting Monday where the board decided on how students would be returning to class in the fall amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The board considered three options:
- Blended - student groups attending school in-person for two days or three days on alternate weeks with six feet of social distancing and remote learning on the other days
- Five Day - students would attend class in-person five days a week with three feet of social distancing
- Four Day - students would attend class in-person four days a week with one day of remote learning and three feet of social distancing
After hearing public comment that included teachers and students, board members discussed their preferences with many saying they favored the "blended" option mainly because of the six foot distancing. Others expressed concern for parents who work being able to juggle a changing schedule and a lack of daytime child care.
In the end, the vote was 4-3 in favor of that blended option.
Now it's up to Superintendent Laura Mitchell to finalize a plan for how the plan will be implemented. That's expected in the coming weeks.