Benton Harbor Area Schools is out with a plan for a return to the classroom this fall. Superintendent Andrae Townsel tells WSJM News they’re taking different approaches depending on the age of the students. Benton Harbor High School will resume classes entirely online for the first quarter of the new academic year. As for the K through eight students, Townsel says parents have a choice.
“There’s an option to be 100% virtual,” Townsel said. “For those parents who do not want to send their kids to school for COVID-19 reasons, they have to apply to the virtual program, and we’ll make sure they’re virtual to meet their needs.”
Then there’s the in-person option for students in grades K through eight.
“We will conduct instructional waves Monday through Thursday, meaning students will have an AM schedule or a PM schedule. So they will be in school half the time, have lunch, and go home for the remainder of the day with virtual learning.”
Students with the AM schedule would be in the building around 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. with the rest of the day online. Students on the PM schedule would go in around 11:30 after some online learning and the be there for about three hours. Townsel says the plan could be changed depending on circumstances. The district has purchased more than 900 Chromebooks for students to be able to learn remotely.
