The 20/21 School Year Looks Different for Steamboat Springs Students

A bright yellow school bus pulls up to the Steamboat Springs Middle School and a handful of mask-clad students jump out. This time last year, there would have been a throng of pupils spilling onto the sidewalk, congregating in groups as they wandered to class; but this school year is like no other. Administrators toiled throughout the summer to formulate plan after plan for possible reopening (or not) scenarios, under the COVID-19 state guidelines. On August 24th, the school year officially began with two options for parents: send your kids to school under a hybrid model or opt for 100% online schooling. “We had to find the best solution for our students, staff and community but none of us had ‘pandemic’ on our resumes,” said Mark Rydberg, Director of Finance for the Steamboat Springs School District.

Steamboat Springs Parents Choose Between Online Schooling or Hybrid Model

Students in the hybrid model are divided into two cohorts per class, alternating days throughout the week to allow for two days in school plus every other Friday. At the high school, students spend two days back to back, with every other Friday in class. On the days out of school, all students are expected to follow their learning plan at home on a laptop, supplied by the district. Upon entry to any of the school buildings, students have their temperatures checked and must go straight to class. Classrooms have replaced cafeterias. Outdoor walks serve as a reprieve from the constricted time spent in the building.

Parents that opted out of in-school learning had two choices: enroll in Edgenuity, a learning management system for K-12, which keeps students in the district, or withdraw from the district and source an alternative. Edgenuity offers virtual classes taught by state certified instructors, and students have access to a teacher mentor from the Steamboat Springs School District, as a point of contact only. Students can still participate in school activities and special events.

Steamboat Springs School District Sees Drop in Physical Attendance

Financially the district is better served having children in school given that a portion of per pupil funding for online students goes to Edgenuity and not the district as a whole. However the drop in physical attendance eases safety protocols given the additional space available. “Anecdotally, some resort town school districts might see a bump in students with a number of second home owners choosing to relocate,” Rydberg said. “I will be interested to see where we wind up with our own numbers next month.”