As a follow-up to Thursday night's community forum, parents of students in the Sunflower County Consolidated School District were reportedly sent a text message containing a quick survey and were asked to complete the study for each of their children, indicating their preferred method of returning to learning.
Although the district leaders presented three options during the more than hour-long group meeting last week, two of the possible choices ranked higher than the third. A hybrid model made up of two days in-classroom instruction and two days of virtual teaching and a 100% virtual choice were at the top of the class.
As of Monday evening, survey choices had been registered for more than 1,500 students with more than 62% opting for the 100% virtual model. The remaining nearly 38% decided they would rather go with the hybrid option.
Superintendent Miskia Davis said, “The survey results confirmed the necessity for the district to create a plan that allowed for both a hybrid and virtual option.”
The third option, which did not make the grade, was a return to the traditional model of daily face-to-face interaction between the students and teachers. Davis had previously expressed that it presented the greatest risk of possible exposure to COVID-19, so that option was not given much dialog. “Ultimately, our goal is to keep students and staff as safe as possible,” she said.
The data being compiled from the survey is painting a picture for Davis and her staff. “The results are a clear indication that a 100 percent virtual option is one that is NOT viable for about a third of our students. If the survey results are used as a predictor for our entire district, that is approximately 1000 students district wide,” said Davis.
With surveys still being submitted the current numbers are inconclusive; however, Davis said, “We will continue to monitor the numbers, and continue to seek strategies and implement systems that will allow for all of our students and staff to be as safe as possible, regardless of what option is chosen.”
