January 14, 2021 For Immediate Release
Since September, City Schools has continually expanded our optional in-person learning opportunities for prioritized groups of students across the district. We know there are groups of young people who desperately need the support they can only receive in person, growing numbers of our families want this option, and we’ve proven we can do it safely.
For the second semester, City Schools will expand optional learning to traditional and transformation school students in kindergarten through 5th grade as well as 9th-grade students and high school seniors. The program will be open to all traditional K-5 students who attend an elementary/middle school or all 9th and 12th grade students who attend traditional and transformation high schools.
Families may decide whether to participate in in-person learning or remain in virtual learning. For charter and contract schools, please visit your school’s page to see plans for in-person.
We will launch this effort in three phases:
Kindergarten through grade 2 begins Tuesday, February 16.
Grades 3-5 begin Monday, March 1
9th grade and 12th-grade start Monday, March 1
To learn more or express interest in participating in in-person learning, families should directly contact their schools.
For general questions about optional in-person learning opportunities for the second semester, please review our helpful FAQ at www.baltimorecityschools.org.
Participating schools will also offer opportunities for families to visit, learn more about the program, and review the PPE and safety measures in place.
A Virtual Family Town Hall about second semester in-person learning will be at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, January 21 on Facebook and Twitter (@baltcityschools) as well as City Schools TV on YouTube.
We believe that many of our families will choose to remain with the virtual learning option, and many of our classrooms will have small groups initially. But as we earn trust and confidence, there will likely be more families that chose the in-person learning option.
We’ve taken a cautious, phased-in approach based on our health experts’ advice, and more than 2,000 students have benefitted with instruction that fits their needs. Since in-person learning opened on September 28, there have been no transmission cases at our in-person learning sites and one case of transmission at a meal site. To learn more about our Health and Safety Procedures, including air ventilation efforts, visit our Health and Safety Webpage at https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/safety-procedures.