What students will face in fall What changes can students expect to see?
Wisconsin schools push for in-person classes as much as possible while surging variant complicates ever-changing COVID-19 situation
Schools across the state — whether they serve kindergartners or college students — continue to adjust plans for the fall based on the ever-evolving COVID-19 situation. The general idea is to bring as many students back in person as possible — the so-called return to normalcy — while not endangering students, teachers or their families. Complicating matters is the recent resurgence of COVID, particularly the delta variant. And after all this time, many people are still worlds apart on the value of vaccines and masks. So, with just a few weeks to go until a new school year, how are schools faring and what can we expect?
Here are some basic questions and answers:
Will students need to be vaccinated to attend class this fall?
Officials in Wisconsin have not signaled any plans to require K-12 students to receive COVID vaccinations, which are presently only available to students ages 12 and older.
If COVID vaccines do get added to the list of required vaccines for K-12 students, Wisconsin allows families to opt out of vaccine requirements by signing waivers attesting to personal conviction, religious or medical/ health reasons.
Most colleges in Wisconsin will not require COVID vaccinations this fall. Those that will are Lawrence University, Marquette University and Beloit College, all private schools. Even those that do require the vaccine will provide waivers.
Other colleges, including UW schools, are taking the approach of educating and enticing their students toward getting the shot. UW schools will allow all vaccinated students living in dorms to be exempt from regular testing, for example.
Some colleges say they’re expecting high vaccination rates even without a mandate. A survey of students at UW-Madison, for example, projects 96% of dorm residents will be fully vaccinated by early fall.
Will students need to wear masks this fall?
While new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only recommends masks for unvaccinated students and staff in K-12 schools, districts around Wisconsin are taking a range of approaches.
Some school districts stopped requiring masks this spring, as soon as the state Supreme Court threw out the statewide mask mandate. Others have made the decision more recently. Others are still weighing their options and considering the new CDC guidance.
Milwaukee Public Schools plan to uphold masking requirements this fall for all students and staff while indoors. Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson said July 15 that she recommends MPS continue this masking policy.
Colleges and universities are also taking a range of approaches to masking. Many say they “require” or “expect” that unvaccinated people wear masks while on campus. But they are in many cases saying so without a mask mandate of their own to replace the local and state mandates that were lifted. In other words, students will be on the honor system. Some faculty and staff are expressing concerns that this raises major questions about enforcement because it will be hard to know who is and is not vaccinated.
What about students who have compromising health conditions?
Many schools will still offer virtual education options.
MPS is offering a virtual program with limited seating for families who have opted in for a fully remote experience. As of June 24, after the deadline to sign up, about 1,400 students had opted for the program.
Many colleges across the state are moving back to being as close to normal as possible. That means the end of social distancing in classrooms and a return to pre-pandemic options for in-person classes.
Many say they will still offer some amount of COVID-19 testing on campus and regular testing for unvaccinated students who live in the dorms. They also recommend that students continue to wear masks if they do not feel safe and ask for individual accommodations where possible.
With more vaccinations and lower rates of COVID spread, some schools are easing up on precautions, taking down plexiglass, allowing for less social distancing and forgoing surveillance COVID testing. They’re also using federal stimulus funds to improve ventilation and continue offering masks and other protective supplies.
Under the latest plans from MPS, students will only be asked to stay three feet apart, down from the six-foot requirement last school year. Quarantining requirements will also be less strict. Rather than closing a whole classroom when there’s a single COVID case identified, contact tracers will identify anyone who spent at least 15 minutes within six feet of the person who tested positive.
Another big change for MPS: Educators will no longer be teaching students in person and virtually at the same time, as the virtual program will have its own teachers.
College students will see more people on campus, and less social distancing, masks and required surveillance testing if they are vaccinated. Sports and other events are making their way back to normal, as are oncampus services like dining. Still, plans will vary from campus to campus.
Is it likely that universities will return to normal schedules?
Many universities adjusted their calendars to limit the spread of COVID last school year. Some had students stay home from Thanksgiving until mid-January. UW-Madison and other Wisconsin campuses — UWEau Claire and UW-La Crosse among them — eliminated spring break, causing concern among students about burnout.
Some, like Marquette University, canceled the break but instituted mental health days throughout the semester with on-campus and virtual activities to allow students to let off steam. UW-Platteville spread five “Pioneer Pause” days across the calendar, two of them before May final exams.
This year, schools plan to return to normal class calendars and vacation days.