De Soto school district changes back-to-school plan, opts for hybrid model

All students of Unified School District No.

232 will attend some classes in-person this fall after school officials announced they are changing their plan and going with a district-wide hybrid learning model.

FIRST AT SIX --A REVERSAL INCLASSROOM PLANS AHEADOF WHAT WILL BE ANUNUSUAL SCHOOL YEARFOR SO MANY.A WEEK AGO -- DE SOTOANNOUNCED IT WOULDSTART WITH ALL-VIRTUALLEARNING.TODAY -- THE DISTRICT ISMOVING TOWARD IN-PERSON LEARNING.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER SARAH PLAKEEXPLAINS WHAT CHANGED-- AND WHAT SOMESTUDENTS THINK OF THEMOVE.The group of students say theboard's decision was exactlywhat they wanted, and believethey had a lot of power in tdecision that came out lastnight.A group of students presentetheir argument pushing forin-person school at the hours-long De Soto board ofeducation meeting onMonday..We just wanted to make surestudent voices didn't get lostin this frenzy.And the board seemed tolisten..

Changing thedistrict's back-to-school planand adopting a hybrid modefor all students instead ofremote learning.

Students willnow be in school part of theweekI'm glad our district decided tobe different.

I'm glad odistrict put our students first.Cause in my opinion I thinkthe other districts honestly ranscared.Brent Smith is a senior at DeSoto High School and helpedform the Student CoronavirusResponse Coalition..

Thegroup argues staying at homewould be much worsestudents than going in-person.Mental health, social andemotional development,educational progress, issuessuch as domestic abuse in thehome....According to the KansaDepartment of Health andEnvironment, no one 18 andyounger has died from thvirus.KDHE has recorded 3,484cases among kids in the 017 age range.The board of education choto go with the Kansas SchoolsGating Criteria, doing awaywith the Johnson Counthealth department's gatingcriteria.Neither the board nor thedistrict were available forintervieFor all the people who saythat young kids can't haveimpact, well I think our groupis proof that we can