Students at Gibraltar Area Schools may be getting closer to attending classes in person for the first time this year. The district’s school board has held a special meeting each of the past two Mondays to nail down a plan to welcome kids back to the building. Similar to Sevastopol and Kewaunee School District’s current models, Gibraltar would phase in the number of kids that would be allowed in the building based on the area’s burden level. That number would have to be in the moderate to low range in order to allow full in-person student attendance. The board is also adjusting the data it is looking at to determine if the schools can reopen for in-person learning. Before it was basing its information on the county’s burden level as a whole with 28 new cases allowed in a two-week period as a threshold. With that number standing at over 300 as of last week and another 106 positive cases reported on Monday, Gibraltar Superintendent Tina Van Meer admits that threshold limit may not be achievable for the foreseeable future.  

Instead, the district will allow the burden level to be in the high range instead of the current moderate to low. It will also only look at the data as it pertains to three attendance areas within Gibraltar Area School District: Northport, Baileys Harbor, and Gibraltar. Van Meer says by doing that, it could bring the kids back to school quicker with some help.

Van Meer says just like before, the new numbers will be based on a two week period.  As of right now, Gibraltar Area Schools will remain in remote learning until at least November 20th.

LISTEN TO A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE PLAN FROM GIBRALTAR SUPERINTENDENT TINA VAN MEER