After consulting with local public health officials and considering the voices of parents and staff, the Winfield-Mount Union School District has announced their Return to Learn plan. The 12-page document outlines the three methods of learning that could be implemented, including on-site, hybrid, and online learning, the expectations for students and staff, and the steps that will be taken in the case of a COVID-19 positive case or outbreak. Superintendent Jeff Maeder and the school board felt some kind of normalcy needed to return to students’ lives, so the on-site model of learning will be implemented starting August 24, with health and safety guidelines students and staff are expected to follow. Some of these guidelines include wearing a face covering when social distancing is not possible, frequent hand washing and sanitizing, and classrooms being cleaned before, during, and after school. Meader is confident in the plan, “I am confident and I want people to feel confident that they are going to be safe here at school. We’re going to make this as normal and as inviting a place as we can. You’re going to see a lot of effort to make kids feel safe and welcome. We’re going to do a lot on the social and emotional side of learning and try to take care of some of those basic needs that sometimes we take for granted. The parents can expect to find a caring staff when they come back, very understanding. We are going to get through this together. I’m very confident.” Maeder says seeing the concerns and questions of parents helped to strengthen the overall plan. From the 196 parents that responded to the parent survey, 40% of respondents would have their child wear a mask if it was required and 71% say on-site learning would be their choice of learning method.