With the COVID-19 numbers continuing to rise at a high rate, it doesn’t seem likely that the Manitowoc Public School District will return to in-person learning any time soon.
SeehaferNews.com spoke with Superintendent Mark Holzman, who said that they continue to look at the Burden Rate.“Right now we are at about 1200,” Holzman said. “We are looking for a Burden Rate that is about where we were at the beginning of the school year. The CDC recommends under 300.”
As a reminder, the Burden Rate is a measurement of how many people per 100,000 citizens caught COVID-19 in the past two weeks.
Holzman did say that they are also looking at including other criteria, “But that criteria are not going to bring students back with a 1200 Burden Rate. When we left with a 700 Burden Rate, we had a very difficult time supplying students and staff with a healthy school environment, and we had lots of absences.”
Holzman also said that the District has a much better virtual model than they had at the end of last school year, with the main difference being how the school day is structured. He explained that “An Elementary student, at around 8:00…will log in and see their teacher on the video screen, and they are going to go through their lessons for the morning. The teacher will give them a break…then small group instruction will happen in the afternoon.”
Middle and High School students have their typical block schedule, with a small variant at the High School level.
While in-person learning is the final goal, Holzman said he wants to make sure the students are still getting a quality education, and that they remain safe while doing so.
