The Albany County School Board decided last week on February 10 to transition both Laramie High School (LHS) and Laramie Middle School (LMS) to fully in-person instruction starting March 22 before fully vaccinating teachers. The students and teachers had been following a hybrid format with a block schedule to limit the amount of students in class at a time until the school board proposed a new plan.
“The proposed new schedule is unhelpful, counterproductive and frankly unsafe,” LHS student Leo Gomelsky said in the public board meeting. “It will ruin the established and delicate routine we all have created.”
“In attempting to make scheduling easier it will only complicate it by forcing concerned parents to move their children online. I’ve discussed with plenty of students who said their parents will move them online if the school turns to five days a week,” Gomelsky said.
Many parents, students and teachers said this move will negatively impact mental health among students and teachers, that class sizes will be too large to contain the spread of the virus, that teachers will have to take on the added burden of this transition, and this transition is happening far too soon.
Cory Scimeca, a teacher at LHS, said her largest class size is 29 students despite the school board encouraging teachers class sizes to be no larger than 20 to 22 students. In this scenario, desks would have to be packed together and the spread of the virus could go untamed.
“Board meetings are still on zoom, socially distanced and not open to the public. I really don’t feel you can justify it is safe for me to double my exposure when you don’t feel safe opening your doors,” Scimeca said.
“I’m tired of being told I’m essential but not being valued enough to give input on moving to tier one,” Scimeca said.
Jess Ryan, a parent of a student, said, “COVID-19 infected kiddos have seriously asked themselves, did I kill my loved one?”
“By taking our time creating clear plans, making sure that teachers who want it have received two doses of the vaccine, and ensuring that schools feel safe for all stakeholders, we can start on the path to healing instead of inadvertently re-traumatizing people,” Ryan said.
“Is it worth the risk? Is it worth the lives of my fellow students? Is it worth my life, my grandparents or the grandparents of my peers?” Gomelsky said.
This article was editing Wednesday, February 24 in regard to the return date for in person classes. The original article said in person classes would start March 1 but that was corrected to March 22.
