The Mid-Prairie School District is in the initial stages of crafting a return to learn plan for next school year. The Iowa Department of Education announced school districts must submit a Return-to-Learn plan by July 1st in order to meet the potential challenges of returning for the 2020-2021 school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Superintendent Mark Schneider told the school board this plan must meet certain criteria, such as: defining teacher and student expectations, delivery platforms, communications methods, ensuring proper professional development, and defining and ensuring student access to resources. Schneider also said if schools are again closed next school year, continued learning will be required with no exceptions.

Schneider told the board he will bring this plan to them for approval, but argues community input is important, “Although, some of these elements are going to have community implications, public relations implications, we do need input from our community and you represent the community. So, I think school board input is going to be very critical to this. Employee input is going to be critical to this, not just teachers, not just paraprofessionals. It goes to the bus drivers. Think of a bus driver, how are you going to social distance on a school bus? What does that mean before and after? Does the bus get disinfected? If so how does that get done? There’s just a million little details to figure out.” The school board will continue to include this item on future board meeting agendas until formally approved by the July 1st deadline.  Mid-Prairie was one of 42 districts statewide that required at least partial remote learning this spring.