Parents want full-time in-person learning
Mason Public Schools is currently operating under a hybrid model
MASON, Mich. (WILX) - Hundreds of parents are asking the Mason Public Schools board to reopen school five days a week.
The district is currently operating under a hybrid model. Kids go to school two days a week and learn online three days a week.
More than 500 parents signed an online petition to get their students fully in person.
Parents said neighboring districts have proven that option is safe.
“I feel the options don’t work for everyone,” said Amber Rodriguez, Mason Schools parent.
Rodriguez is one of 514 parents who signed the petition. She said her kids’ are struggling with the hybrid system.
“These kids’ mental health is struggling a lot. Especially a lot of the older kids. They need to be in school. They need to have their sports,” said Rodriguez.
She’s not alone. Kaysie Inghram said her elementary students are struggling to keep up.
It’s frustrating for her because other districts in the area have been able to have in-person learning all week since the beginning of the year.
“If I would’ve known my district was going to go back to face-to-face, I would’ve transferred my kids to Leslie or Dansville,” said Inghram.
Heidi Grant said people from neighboring districts are surprised Mason isn’t fully in person.
She said she supported starting with the hybrid.
“I think it was a good start to try and get kids back into the classrooms,” said Grant.
But she feels the board could take a more proactive approach to move forward.
“I feel it keeps getting pushed to the wayside instead of looking at how can we make it work,” said Grant.
Rodriguez said teachers and her kids are at the school every day, she doesn’t get why they can’t be together.
“I’m not understanding why my child can go only two days a week to learn but then the school is unlocked and he’s able to get into the weight room five days a week,” said Rodriguez.
Mason superintendent Ronald Drzewicki told News 10 in a statement the district will continue to review the Extended COVID-19 Learning Plan each month.
“The Board voted to continue following a hybrid in-person model which allows us to get kids in school safely while maintaining all the mitigation measures and recommendations from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ such as social distancing, reduced density, and mask-wearing,” said Drzewicki’s statement. “The model provides flexibility to possibly increase in-person instruction in the future. At the direction of the Mason Board of Education, the administration is continuing to look for ways to meet the in-person learning needs of as many students as possible.”
Mason teachers who chose to get the COVID-19 vaccine are scheduled to get their second dose this week.
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