By Jalen Maki

Tomahawk Leader Editor

TOMAHAWK – The School District of Tomahawk announced in a Friday, Feb. 19 letter to families that it is developing plans to bring students back to campus.

“The numbers at school have improved to the point we believe, where we are able to start making plans for a gradual transition to additional days for in person learning for all students,” the district stated. “As we promised, we would transition to different models when change was determined to be possible.”

According to the letter, PK-5 students will return to a normal five-day in-person schedule beginning Monday, Feb. 22. The change will add Fridays to the current weekly schedule.

Instruction models for Tomahawk Virtual students will remain unchanged.

The district is currently developing a plan that would see all 6-12 A/B cohorts return to classrooms four to five days a week, with April 6 being a “possible target date of implementation.”

The longer timeline for bringing 6-12 students back to campus was created due to “the many changes and information necessary in the 6-12 to safely add additional students at school,” the district stated. The evaluation of the logistics of students moving through the building during the day, the preparation involved in transitioning from a hybrid instruction model to in-person classes, the addition and hiring of needed personnel, and the updating of safety guidelines and equipment will have to occur before the implementation of a new schedule.

The district noted that the schedules are tentative and subject to change based on COVID-19 transmission and quarantine trends at the school.

“We ask for your continued patience as we try to safely transition to this possible change in models,” the district said.

Planning for a summer school schedule is underway, which will allow district staff to work with students on learning deficiencies and credit recovery. Swimming lessons and other summer activities are also being considered.

“Finally, with your continued patience with all that this past year has brought us, please do understand: All COVID safety mitigation protocols will continue to be enforced at all times on school grounds and activities. All of these plans may need to be changed at any point due to situations that we are presented with at any moment in time. We will continue to keep you updated, and attempt to inform you as soon as possible if these timelines need to be adjusted,” the district said in concluding the letter.