Back to School: Here's how districts in southeast Wisconsin plan to reopen

WISCONSIN (CBS 58) -- As a new school year approaches, districts throughout Wisconsin are tasked with the decision of how to proceed with classes during the coronavirus pandemic.

Here's a growing list of the latest decisions and recommendations:

CEDARBURG

Masks or face coverings will be required when students and staff return to the Cedarburg School District. Board members voted, five-to-one, to require them in district buildings, whenever social distancing is not possible.

Registration for in-person or virtual learning starts July 31 through August 7. School is set to begin on September 8. More information on the plan can be found on the district's website

GERMANTOWN

The Germantown School District will allow families to decide between face-to-face or fully virtual learning. To read more on the plan, CLICK HERE

GRAFTON

The Grafton Board of Education approved the district's full week in-person reopening plan in a 6-1 vote.

Board members adopted Superintendent Jeff Nelson's plan for a five day a week in-person reopening plan that includes a virtual learning option for families who choose to do so.

Members voted to change the wording from "students will wear face coverings" to "students must wear face coverings" and gave staff members discretion as to when to require or not require face masks.

The Grafton School district is not offering a hybrid in-person/virtual model.

KENOSHA

Students in the Kenosha Unified School District will take virtual classes five days a week.

The school board approved the plan in a 5-2 vote.

MENOMONEE FALLS

The Menomonee Falls School Board approved a full week in-person school plan with an all-virtual option in a 7-0 vote.

Universal face masks will be required and movement between classrooms will be minimized, with various adjustments to the typical day.

The board noted that if cases increase, the plan could change to a hybrid model with 2-3 days in person, and a real-time live stream on other days.

MEQUON-THIENSVILLE

The district will begin the school year with virtual learning with hopes to return to in-person learning as soon as possible. 

In a statement, the district said, "The current state of COVID-19 community spread in the Mequon-Thiensville zip codes reflects high risk for the month of August and as such, the District will begin the 2020-2021 school year having to provide distance learning for all students. Educators in the Mequon-Thiensville School District are prepared to provide a high quality distance learning experience for our students."

MILWAUKEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The school year will begin on virtual platforms and is projected to last 30-45 days, transitioning into hybrid learning, followed by face-to-face learning with a virtual option.

The school year will start on Aug. 17.

WAUKESHA

The Waukesha School Board voted 5-4 for a hybrid plan to send middle and high school students to in-person classes two days a week and complete the three other days virtually. 

Elementary school students will attend classes in-person five days a week with a virtual option.

WAUWATOSA

The Wauwatosa School Board voted 6-1 to move forward with its reopening plan. The plan calls for two options for families, strict virtual learning or phased-in learning.

Phase one focuses on staff orientation, phase two is to get students comfortable with the learning environment and would have staff and student cohorts attending, phase three would be for the first week of school and would be a hybrid model, and phase four would be ongoing learning with options for virtual learning, hybrid learning, or classroom learning, depending on metrics.

The district would use metrics determined by a health advisory panel to make decisions on when and how to move forward with each phase.

WEST ALLIS-WEST MILWAUKEE

The West Allis-West Milwaukee School District decided to begin the school year virtually.

The plan calls for phasing in options for in-person and distance learning based on health metrics. When students would return in person, all students and staff would be required to wear face coverings when they are unable to socially distance in buildings or on buses. Mask breaks will be built into the school day. The school year will begin September 8.

WHITEFISH BAY 

The Whitefish Bay School District Board approved a "blended" model of learning, where students will be split up into two groups and each group will go to school in-person two days a week. 

There would also be a virtual option for families. If there was ever an outbreak, the school would be directed to go all virtual. 

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