Chillicothe Middle School students will attend in-person classes using a hybrid model starting Monday, September 21st due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 quarantined middle school students. Superintendent Dan Wiebers says students will be divided into two groups by the primary parent’s last name. A through M will report to class Monday and Thursday, and N through Z will report Tuesday and Friday.
CMS students will receive their education virtually or through other distance learning methods on days they do not report to the building. Employees will still report to work in the building unless they are COVID-19 positive or following a quarantine order.
After school athletic practices will proceed during the schedule. Students may return for daily practices as long as they are not COVID-19 positive, under a quarantine order, or symptomatic.
Wiebers notes that as of Friday, September 18th, there were five positive cases and 105 quarantined students at CMS, which is 30% of the student body. That did not count distance learning students.
He says that, “idealy,” after a two-week period of hybrid education at Chillicothe Middle School, the number of quarantined students will return “to an appropriate level.” CMS students will return to a normal schedule October 5th as long as a continued increase of cases is not seen.
The Chillicothe R-2 School District asks parents to follow the daily symptom checklist and not send their children to school if they experience any COVID-19 symptoms. Families are asked to follow social distancing requests made by health officials, so the middle school can reopen with in-person learning.
Questions can be directed to the Chillicothe Middle School office at 646-1916 or the district office at 646-4566.
