Trotwood-Madison going back to virtual

District used blended learning model before cases began to spike.

Trotwood-Madison schools will return to completely virtual learning following Thanksgiving break due to the increase in COVID-19 cases in Montgomery County.

The schools shifted to a blended learning model in October but due to the growing number of cases in the county and the holiday seasons approaching, the superintendent and board members decided to return to virtual learning.

Superintendent Reva Cosby proposed students remain home at the conclusion of their Thanksgiving break beginning Nov. 30 until Jan. 19 to allow time for the incubation period of the virus before symptoms begin to show.

“My objective here tonight is to keep our students and our staff safe here in Trotwood,” she said. “You wanted to put your children back in school for all the reasons we’ve talked about which is why we ultimately did this, but we’re not really getting that benefit when we have to send home classrooms of kids who’ve been in a room with someone and therefore been exposed.”

Cosby reported that in-person attendance at all school buildings has decreased in past weeks.

“All of the numbers continue to go down as parents continue to hear the news that it in fact is getting just more and more dangerous,” she said.

She also suggested teachers work remotely the remaining Fridays before students return to virtual learning to help decrease rising anxiety. “Teachers report moving from being stressed to being anxious,” Cosby said.

While the board of education members agreed to table or later discuss allowing teachers to work remotely on Fridays, they did agree on letting students stay home following break. Board president Denise Moore offered temperature checks as an alternative to having Fridays out of the building.