By AMY RICKER
Great Bend Post
GREAT BEND — USD 428 continues to discuss the potential for creating a small virtual school option for Great Bend stendents grades 6-12 for families who may want to continue that option for the 2021-2022 school year.
Director of Teaching and Learning Tricia Reiser has been working with the Virtual Learning Committee to see if a virtual school option for next fall is a viable one. Reiser says while the number of remote students continues to go down in the elementary, middle, and high schools, the numbers are still showing that continued research is necessary.
"I think that is a sign that parents are becoming more comfortable with the way we operate in school. I think parents are also realizing that virtual school or Great Bend Remote is not easy. But, the numbers still say that there is a need for it," explained Reiser.
USD 428 Board Member Deanna Essmiller explained she's been doing some research on virtual learning and schools and there isn't any clear-cut data on either side.
"I have concerns about the unknown. Is virtual what works best for kids or is it not? We are also getting information that the screen time with the remote learning for school is high and then they are always on their screens outside of school. There is also the lack of social interaction and what we are finding out right now is that kids need social interaction," says Essmiller.
Reiser echoed Essmiller's thoughts, saying that the high school administration has the same concerns.
"The beauty of the virtual program, as opposed to Great Bend Remote, is that we can put our own parameters in. If they aren't making progress, then let's cancel them back in. Are they having social or emotional issues? Then let's cancel them back in. I think we can really put some check and balances in there to make sure that we've got the best place for them."
Assistant Superintendent John Popp said that every year the school receives phone calls asking what the virtual options are and that they had to tell everyone that there were none. The school's belief is that the best place for the child was in school. He said there are parents who have absolutely no interest in sending their child to a school building. The only thing they could do at that point was to refer them to another virtual online school.
Popp says the need will continue to be there.
"There's just a certain percentage of the population that has decided that they will be virtual. For health reasons or because the traditional brick and mortar school does not work for their student. The teachers and administration believe that kids being in the classroom with the teacher is the best way for the student to learn. But, if they're set on not coming into the classroom, then we want to have another option for them," explained Popp.
The virtual school option is just at the application stage and Popp said that if there are too many hurdles to jump through as they learn more about creating a virtual school for district students in grades 6-12, the process can simply be stopped.
The school board voted to continue in the process to move forward with the virtual school application process.