The Hopkins Board of Education Thursday night adopted a plan to increase students’ time the classroom starting March 8 and chose Stephanie Wilson to fill a vacancy.
The board approved a revision to its Extended COVID-19 Learning Plan to have high school and junior high students return to in-person instruction four days a week starting Monday, March 8, which is the beginning of the third trimester of the 2020-21 academic year.
Meanwhile, elementary students will have in-person instruction five days per week.
Wednesdays will remain as a remote learning day each week for high school and junior high students.
The remote option will remain for all students, using Hopkins teachers and following the in-person curriculum. The Allegan County Virtual Academy (VAAC) also will continue to be an option.
Superintendent Gary Wood, in a letter to parents in the district, said, “We realize there are no solutions that are pleasing to everyone; however, in order to increase the time that students are in school, the district will begin offering full face-to-face instruction beginning March 8 (beginning of new trimester).”
Wood said the Allegan County Health Department is supportive of this recommendation and was involved in the planning.
“There are many details that need to be worked out in the next several weeks and returning to full face-to-face instruction does not mean that school is returning to normal,” the superintendent added. “We are still in the midst of a pandemic and it is important that we diligently follow all of the safety protocols we have in place.
“We know it has been a difficult year for everyone and we thank you for your patience and resilience.”
Wilson, relationships manager at United Bank in Hopkins, is home grown. She and her husband both are Hopkins High School graduates and they have two children.
She was chosen among three applicants, with Sydney Haralson and Megan Burmania the other two.
The vacancy was the result of only two candidates running for three open seats in the November general election. The other members are President Jeff Gilder, Karen Ryan, Traci Rhoades, John VanBonn, Andrea Buist and Jessica Johnston .
