Radnor Twp. Schools Reopening With Alternating In-Class Groups

RADNOR, PA — The Radnor Township School District Board voted to begin the 2020-21 school year with modified in-school instruction that places students in smaller groups and alternates attendance times so fewer are together in each classroom situation.

All families in Radnor Township School District will have the option of sending their children back to school under Phase 2 of the larger plan to reopen Radnor schools progressively, as approved by the RTSD board on July 28, or choosing a fully online option that was also approved.

The Phase 2 reopening will remain in place until at least Sept. 29 for K-5 and until Oct. 27 for grades 6-12. The school board meets again on those to review the situation.

Approved along with the Phase 2 model is an option for parents who prefer to have their children in a fully online school model. A completely remote cyber instructional program has been revamped since Spring 2020 to include increased synchronous (live) teaching, the district said.

RTSD families will select the in-person or fully remote/cyber option through a process that will be made accessible shortly, the district said.

Facing the coronavirus pandemic, the district adopted a phased, progressive approach to reopening to allow for a shift between program models based on circumstances as they change and emerge. The phases are:

• PHASE 1: Under Phase 1, all K-5 students would return to school full-time following a traditional schedule where classes will be modified under specific social distancing guidelines. All students in grades 6-12 would return to school full-time following a traditional schedule under specific social distancing guidelines.
• PHASE 2 (to be in place at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year): Under Phase 2, families of students in grades K-5 who select the modified in-person option will be enrolled in a morning or afternoon program. Students will be placed in cohorts per grade, with one segment attending school in-person in the morning and the other segment attending in the afternoon. Families of students in grades 6-12 who select the modified in-person option will be enrolled in an "A/B" program. Students will be placed in cohorts per grade and each cohort will physically attend school in an alternating two-week schedule, where cohort "A" attends school in-person three days one week and two days the next and cohort "B" attends two days the first week then three the next.
• PHASE 3: Under Phase 3, all students would transition to RTSD's fully remote/cyber instructional program and engage with teachers via daily live sessions as well as complete asynchronous activities.

Currently, Phase 2 for grades K-5 is expected to be in place through Sept. 29, when the school board is scheduled to meet to determine whether conditions allow a shift to Phase 1 for K-5. Phase 2 for grades 6-12 is expected to be in place through Oct. 27, when the board will meet to examine and decide whether conditions permit a shift to Phase 1 for 6-12.

Families with students who receive special education services will be provided additional information regarding their child's individualized plan for the Phase 2 reopening, the school district said. Over the next several weeks, the district will also be contacting families togather information needed to form their child's plan.

The three phases were selected to allow the district to move between phases depending on the conditions and safety of the community.

Following the July 28 decision, district administration and the school board will continue to monitor whether, or when, to move between phases.

The phased approach to reopening school also allows for staff and students to acclimate to the health and safety guidelines established by the district. It also provides time for extensive training and support to practice and reinforce protocols.

The district said the phased approach to reopening also allows for community-building, social-emotional health and wellness, and for direct help navigating Schoology, the district's virtual learning platform. The district said it is monitoring of the pandemic spread and working in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Health to inform possible phase shifts.

View the full presentation from July 28 the meeting here. Watch the video of the July 28 meeting here. Other information can be found at the RTSD reopening page.

On Aug. 6 there will be a Special Board Meeting to approve the Radnor Township School District Athletic Health & Safety Plan, as well.

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