Lakewood Schools Plan To Reopen Buildings In January

LAKEWOOD, OH — The Lakewood Schools announced its new K-12 return to school plan.

The district is planning to reopen all school buildings on Jan. 4, 2021 for families that prefer in-class learning. If COVID-19 conditions continue to worsen, the school system will remain in remote learning.

When asked what specific metrics would be used to determine if a return to school was safe, a district spokesperson sent the following statement to Patch: "The Superintendent will look at all the relevant local, county and state data and research, including the Ohio Public Health Advisory System, to determine if it is unsafe to have students in school buildings."

Here's what the Lakewood Teachers Association said about the planned reopening:

"The Lakewood Teachers Association’s highest priority continues to be the health and safety of everyone in the Lakewood City Schools community. While we have never been opposed to conducting classes in person, we are adamant that such classes only take place when it is safe to do so. We urge Dr. Barnes to exercise his authority responsibly and to resume in-person instruction only when a significantly improved public health climate allows our students and staff to return safely."

Under the partial reopening model, which would be implemented in January, students will be in class every other day. Families that don't want students to return in-person can choose either "remote 2.0" or "eLearning LKWD" for remote education. Details on both plans have been shared on the Lakewood Schools website.

"We are surveying families via our second semester registration form. From the information collected, we will be able to understand families’ comfort levels with the various learning models. This data will help us prepare and plan for the second semester staffing and operational needs," the district said in a statement.

The issue of reopening Lakewood Schools buildings comes amid a period of controversy and division within the community. Previous board of education meetings have involved different parent groups arguing over whether it is safer to remain in remote education or to bring students back into classrooms.