Union Parents Decide Between Virtual, In-Person Instruction

Time is up for parents to decide whether they want their kids to do virtual learning or return to the classroom at Union Public Schools. 

The district plans to kick off the new school year August 24, and Cheryl Willis said her daughter, Cayley, will be in the classroom.  

"Our daughter does very well with in-person learning. We know that,” Willis said.  

Cheryl said her daughter was not challenged enough during distance learning in the spring. Plus, it's her senior year and Cheryl doesn't want Cayley to miss out on any special moments. 

"She wants to be with her friends and try to have as much of a normal senior year as possible,” Willis said.  

"For my sanity, I would have loved to send them back,” Union parent Kiki Amlaw said.  

Amlaw said she and her husband decided to keep their boys at home. The mom of four said she feels virtual learning will be better organized this fall than distance learning was in the spring. She said she'd rather start the year virtually, just in case distance learning becomes a reality for the district again.  

"If everything doesn't go downhill again, then come January we can make the decision to send them back to school,” she said.  

Union Public Schools said its recent survey showed 67% of parents preferred their child attends school in-person with safety measures in place to protect them. Just over 31% said they would prefer a virtual option. The district said about a quarter of the student population was represented in that survey, based on responses from parents. 

Students and staff at Union schools will be required to wear face coverings, but that doesn't include bandanas or scarves. The district will also put up partitions between students in the cafeteria.