By ROD ZOOK
Hutch Post
BUHLER — With area schools working on virtual school programs for next year the pandemic has allowed many to see how students have reacted to learning at home.
Buhler USD 313 Superintendent Cindy Couchman has noticed some trends over the past year.
“It’s been interesting because some kids have done better,” Couchman said. “Either because they don’t have the distraction, they’re able to focus and move at their own pace.”
Couchma noted that some students actually moved through the curriculum faster and some took more time which was expected. Couchman says there are those that did struggle at times and need that in person attention.
“There are others obviously that this has not been ideal for them. They need more individualized face-to-face instruction,” Couchman said.
Couchman predicts that about 80% of the students that were in the virtual learning program over the past year will come back to school next year while about 20% may choose to learn at home.
Couchman says they have had staff keeping a very close eye on all students during the force virtual learning of the past year.
“ We have three dedicated staff members just for our virtual learners this year. They do daily check-ins, they monitor, they Email back and forth, they’re calling (students),” Couchman said. “We have quite a bit of full court press on them. Our administrators at the high school...reaches out to them often...checking in on them, communicating with parents.”
Couchman says that communication is especially important for juniors and seniors as the district wants to make sure they are getting the credits and courses they need to graduate and be ready for college.
Like most districts in the area, Buhler plans to open a virtual school next year.