Shawnee district moving to 'hybrid' student instruction

WOLF LAKE, Ill. — Students in the Shawnee School District in Wolf Lake will begin a "hybrid" learning model, with four days of in-person learning and one day of online instruction each week, starting Oct. 5.

The district's board of education voted in favor of the hybrid model Thursday night.

The Shawnee district's 300 students began the school year with "online only" instruction after several of the district's faculty and staff were quarantined due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of last week, nearly a third of the district's employees were in quarantine.

"The board understands this is a sensitive and emotional topic," district superintendent Shelly Clover-Hill told a group of about two dozen socially-distanced and masked parents attending the board meeting in the Shawnee High School gym. "But unfortunately there is no right answer for everybody."

Regardless of whether the board decided to continue with online learning or switch to either in-person or hybrid instruction, Clover-Hill said the decision was "not going to be perfect for all of our families, unfortunately."

The Shawnee district had planned to begin the school year in a hybrid mode.

"But, unfortunately, a large amount of our employees were put into isolation," the superintendent explained. "We didn't know how long they were going to have to be in isolation, so a decision had to be made." That decision was to temporarily move all instruction online.

"Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, we were faced with that situation again when 32% of our staff had to be put into quarantine," she said. "We are small, everybody's position is important, and I can tell you there aren't enough subs to be had."

Several parents addressed the board and acknowledged the difficult decision the board faced, but said the situation is difficult for them as well.

"It's difficult on parents, it's difficult on kids," one father said. "We understand that."

"I'm literally begging you to go back to school," the mother of a fifth-grade student told the board.

The parent of a special-needs student said her child needs in-person learning in order to keep up with other students.

"With special education, Zoom meetings do not work," she said. "My child's needs will not be met in a home setting."

Codie Smith, who teaches physical education to elementary students and serves as president of the Shawnee Education Association, told board members that teachers in the district are "stressed out" by the situation. "We want everyone to be back in school," he said.

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