COVID-19 Update For 2021-22 School Year: Franklin Public Schools

FRANKLIN, WI — Franklin Public Schools released a newsletter update clarifying the options available for students during the 2021-22 school year. The district also released more details about how it will handle COVID-19 going forward.

Masks will be recommended for unvaccinated students, but not required in the district overall. Students that qualify may be able to continue virtual learning, but most students have in-person instruction, according to the newsletter from the district.

Students older than 12, the minimum age for people to get the COVID-19 vaccine, will be primarily attending in-person schooling. Children aged 5-11 will have the option to join a third-party virtual learning service, the newsletter said.

A majority of Franklin is vaccinated now. Recent data shows that over 50 percent of all residents have gotten the vaccine shot. Vaccination rates across Wisconsin have been down recently, though.

If a student of any age or grade level has a serious medical condition that could be affected by COVID-19, they will be eligible to use an online learning model, according to the newsletter.

After parents review the details about their child's instruction plan, they can request virtual learning from the district before July 22.

Following this deadline, Edmentum will hold a virtual town hall meeting for families interested in virtual instruction for K-5 through 8th Grade.

Learning For K-5 through 8th Grade

The district will be using Edmentum for virtual learning at these grade levels. The service will not be staffed by teachers from the district, but it will allow for new options for parents, according to the newsletter.

Families can enroll in the Edmentum program, but they can also chose to send their kid to in-person instruction. The district will allow parents to return their children to in-person courses during certain times throughout the year.

Students in K-4 will not have online courses available, the newsletter said.

More information about Edmentum can be found at its website.

Learning For 9th through 12th Grade

Students at these grade levels will primarily have in-person instruction. Most students in these grades are eligible for vaccination against COVID-19.

Online models are possible for older students, though. A student with a health condition would be eligible for online instruction.

If online, students from grades 9-12 will use the Wisconsin E-School Network. The program uses teachers from across the state. More guidance for this online learning model will be released by the district in August.

Older students may be more committed if they choose to go with an online model — A full semester or yearlong commitment may be required for WEN, the newsletter said.

Not all courses that are typically offered by Franklin Public Schools will be available through the online learning models, the newsletter said.

More information about the Wisconsin E-School Network can be found at its website.