Edmond Public Schools Extends In-Person Instruction

All Edmond Public School students have begun in-person instruction four days a week.

On Monday, the district welcomed back middle and high school students. Elementary students began four-day in-person instruction before spring break. EPS decided to bring the younger students back two days before the break to help them adjust to a new world with double the students.

Safety protocols for students such as masks and social distancing will still be enforced. When the decision was announced on March 1, Edmond Public Schools superintendent Bret Towne said a four-day week would allow teachers one day to put together a virtual lesson plan for students unable to attend.

Towne also said doubling the number of students in the classroom will likely mean an increase in the number of students in quarantine. The school board’s decision to expand in-person learning was based on new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, increased teacher vaccination, and a steady decline in virus transmission.

Superintendent Towne says the district did not see the academic slip they were expecting; however, there were students who fell behind. He says the district is working on a robust summer school program. The boards is increasing focus not only on classroom remediation but also on student mental health.