Dixon School Board wants to expand in-person learning

DIXON – Dixon School Board members are ready to expand in-person learning, and met Wednesday to figure out when to do so.

At the start of the school year, students could either attend school in-person two days a week with a blended learning plan or be full remote.

In October, the board expanded K-5 students to four in-person days a week, but Reagan Middle School and Dixon High School plans remained the same because of the concern they wouldn’t be able to adequately social distance with a higher number of students.

In November, the district went to a full-remote schedule for all students because of the alarming coronavirus spread in the community, and students returned to their school plans earlier this month.

The area’s COVID-19 rate has decreased significantly during the last two months, and the bulk of district teachers and staff received their first dose of the vaccine last week.

Superintendent Margo Empen said 225 out of 317 district employees received the first vaccine dose on Jan. 22, with the second dose scheduled for Feb. 19. The vaccine reaches full effectiveness two weeks after the second dose.

The district is also close to bringing rapid testing to schools and is awaiting state approval, she said.

Board member Melissa Gates said they should return to in-person learning five days a week as soon as possible, and the risk of spread doesn’t outweigh the damage to students with being out of school.

“I think the community rates are at a place where we’re OK,” she said.

Lee County’s positivity rate has shrunk to 1.2%.

In a straw poll, Gates and board members Brad Sibley, Kelly Flanagan, Rachael Gehlbach and JR Humphrey agreed that they’d like to expand in-person days beginning Feb. 22, the Monday after their Feb. 17 board meeting.

Board President Linda Wegner and member Rachel Cocar were in favor of making the change on March 8, in order to allow the vaccines to become fully effective for staff.

Gehlbach said it doesn’t seem like there would be a drastic change in risk of spread if they expanded early.

Wegner said she’s proud of how the district has operated during the pandemic and of the board decisions, even though they have disagreed on certain measures.

“I’m really pleased the metrics have gone down in the community and in-house,” she said.