93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
For the first time in about a year, Columbia Public Schools will have in-seat learning five days a week.
The board of education voted Monday night to return to that learning plan after spring break, on Apr. 5.
The district ended full, in-person learning on Mar. 18, 2020, because of coronavirus concerns. Most CPS students returned to some in-seat learning in January.
Supt. Peter Stiepleman said on Monday night all the district’s highest-risk employees will have the chance to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by early April. More than 800 CPS employees, or about 24% of the district workforce, have been vaccinated. The downward trend in local coronavirus data is continuing, and the numbers are the best they have looked the entire school year.
“We are following the evidence. This is not a crazy pivot. We are being consistent with the community. We have taken great strides in keeping people safe. The risk was too high beforehand, but now we can [return],” Stiepleman said.
The CPS board of education voted unanimously to return to the five-day plan. David Seamon was one of the board members who preferred online-only learning in earlier votes because of coronavirus concerns.
“We didn’t believe that when we came back that it would be this successful overall. And I was one of those folks, and this is one of those times where I am happy to have been wrong,” Seamon said.
