La Crosse schools announce draft plans for reopening buildings

They’re planning schools of the future in La Crosse, as the school district prepares to have students and teachers return to the classroom after months of shutdown. 

La Crosse Schools superintendent Aaron Engel hopes to have the city’s schools open on Sept. 1, offering a combination of classroom and online learning. 

Engel said at Monday’s School Board Meeting, La Crosse will focus on its own students, and he hopes there won’t be a lot of transferring between districts.

A draft plan presented to the La Crosse School Board last night covered not just classes, but also the emotional needs of students and after-school activities.

The school board has heard plans for ‘blended teaching,’ in school and on-line, intended to be the model for future education. 

Engel says if anybody shows up in school testing positive for the virus, the word will be spread quickly.

“Hopefully within the day,” he said. “When we get notified, it might be next day. Every family in a building will be notified if there was a positive case in that building.”

Mask wearing, social distancing, and frequent cleaning are all parts of the plan for reopening schools.

Engel says many questions still don’t have a definite answer, such as: “Will there be sports as usual?” And, “How will classes such as music be taught?”