The Manitowoc Public School District shifted from a blended to a full virtual model of learning on October 13th as COVID 19 cases began to surge.
Superintendent Mark Holzman says that the model they are using now is better than the one they used at the end of last school year, however, “We know we have to improve that because we also know that kids learn better face to face. We’re trying to balance the fact that our County’s Health has escalated in a direction that is not improving and our burden rate is two times greater that when we left blended instruction models.”
The Burden Rate, one of several pieces of data the District uses to monitor the virus, is the total number of positive COVID 19 cases over a two-week period per 100,000 residents.
Holzman explained that “Manitowoc County is around 79,000 residents so there is a bit of a multiplier here. If we Had 100,000 residents and over a two-week period we had 300 cases each you’d have a Burden Rate of 600. CDC and County Health guidelines recommend that number be about 200. Our Burden Rate has doubled from 554 to over 1100 since going fully virtual October 13th.
Manitowoc Lincoln is a member of the Fox River Classic Conference and currently all schools that compete in the FRCC are holding “no in person instruction. With that in mind, SeehaferNew.com asked Holzman if or when winter sports would take place.
He said “It’s not likely that we will bring students in to compete until at some point we’re instructing face to face. It doesn’t mean that we can’t bring them in at some to do some things once health improves. We are hopeful to have some winter sports in the future.”
He would not pinpoint a date but there’s talk of a Conference Schedule only starting sometime in January. MPSD’s emphasis is to always provide education first and co-curriculars second.
The Superintendent adds “Our teachers are doing a great job under the circumstances. We are getting better at this and are excited about getting back. That will take a community effort to practice and follow all the COVID 19 safety protocols.”
