Students Could Be Back Full Time February 15 In Fond du Lac

Students in the Fond du Lac School District could be back in class nearly full time as soon as February 15. The Fond du Lac School Board met at the Goodrich Little Theater Monday evening, with the goal of finding a logical in-person restart period within the district. Initially, Interim Superintendent Sharon Simon told the board that she could see students in class, in person, 4 days a week for the first two weeks and then five days after that. Further discussion was held in the workshop following the meeting, with a five day a week plan put into place with the February 15 start date, provided all pieces are able to put into place.

Some challenges that could affect the return date would be getting the buses back up and running, as well as the bus drivers who have been laid off. Another area of concern would be the food service workers who have also been laid off during the bulk of the school year. School Board member Mark Jurgella said he would be in favor of the estimated return date, but only if stringent guidelines such as full-time mask wearing were in place. Board President Susan Jones took it one step further, saying even greater guidelines might need to be implemented, such as an increase in quarantines and locker usage.

Discussions will continue Tuesday when the various school principals meet to go over the proposed plan.

The meeting was open to public input and a number of parents stepped to the microphone to voice their support for getting students back to full-time, in-person instruction, but the input was cut short before all had the chance to speak.