In-person or online learning?

DAYTON-Dayton School District Superintendent Guy Strot invited the two teachers in the Distance Learning program, Hannalee Farrell for K-5 and Jeanne Walter for 6-12 to give an overview on student progress.

Farrell currently has 10 students in the program, down from 22 at the start of the year. She reported the struggle for kids to perform well within the model including that one will have to repeat. Some were already doing poorly in the traditional school setting before COVID-19, but she said those students are getting further behind. Strot clarified that the distance learning is not a full online program in that the children receive a lot of paper assignments that have to be turned in. Farrell recommended that distance learning not be offered next year.

Walter offered a different report. She currently has 20 students. Many courses are offered through the Apex Program that the Dayton School District can't offer. Some students have come back in person but choose to take one class by Apex. Parents have reported being happy with how their kids are doing in the program. Walter advocated that the model would continue and be expanded next year and into the future.

Strot took up the subject later in his superintendent report which echoed the distance learning teachers report. He said that a strictly online program called Ingenuity would be an option for distance learning but because grade schoolers tend to not perform as well, the District would be strongly encouraging in-person learning. He said for secondary students, they can be approved upon application for the Apex online or a combination of in-person and online. Apex is a flexible program and can allow students to take the classes at school or at home, go to work and earn credit or potentially be able to enter a two-year college or technical program while still in high school.

High School Principal Kristina Brown announced to the Board the students' choice of Wolfpack for the DW mascot. She said the design will be refined within the next few weeks and the plan is for the new mascot to be fully adopted in the fall.

Athletics are in full swing. The modified, delayed seasons for volleyball and football will be wrapping up by the end of the month. April will see the start of a shortened season for baseball, softball, track and golf.

Brown said the secondary school will be putting on a Homecoming Week the week of March 29-April 1 with different themed dress up days and events each day including stud volleyball, an ice cream social and a pep rally.

Strot reported that the State has softened graduation requirements for 2021 because of how COVID-19 has impacted education and they are considering a similar idea for graduates for the next four years since each high school grade leading up to graduation has been affected.

Strot said he and Brown are meeting with Public Health Administrator, Martha Lanman to discuss upcoming school activities like an elementary school fundraiser in the park, prom and the senior trip.