Friday ( July 31 ) is the deadline to enroll in the remote learning option for the upcoming school year in Geary USD 475. Students have a choice of a brick and mortar school or attending online.
Lacee Sell, Associate Superintendent, said the reason for the Friday deadline for remote learning is that District officials are trying to place all of their students. "We have approximately over 1,000 students that are looking at remote learning district wide.'
Returning students have a laptop and a hot spot if one is needed. New students enrolling in the district will be given a laptop and hot spot. Distribution days will be scheduled at the Larry Dixon Center just off West 6th Street for pick up of those devices.
Remote learning students will need to fill out a daily learning log that shows the state mandated six hours of instructional activities. Students, however, will not be doing online learning six hours per day, explained Sell. "We need six hours of documented learning time." State law requires a district to meet 1,116 hours per school year and that equates to six hours or 360 hours of learning activity that we will have to report through that daily learning log." Parents need to support their student online with that their combined with the time spent by the student online to reach six hours.
Students will have a daily connection with their remote learning teacher who will be employed by USD 475. "Remote learners may be assigned to instructors that may or may not be from their home building." Sell added some staff members cannot return to school because of accommodations or doctor recommendations those are the teachers that district officials will look at assigning to remote learning classrooms. If students are signed up for remote learning patrons need to look at the district's remote learning expectations.
The Associate Superintendent explained the remote learning deadline is necessary on July 31st so school is ready to on Aug. 31.
The onsite learning option will include traditional school with significant health and safety measures, and physical distancing parameters in place.