INDIANAPOLIS — We are learning more about what the school year could look like for Indianapolis Public Schools amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The district on Tuesday released preliminary results from a survey issued to parents.
IPS officials said there is a lot to consider when planning for the upcoming school year and part of it includes community input which is why the survey is so important.
What would need to happen to make you feel comfortable sending your kids back to the classroom this fall? What about on a school bus? Which type of part-time schedule would work best for your family? Those are just some of the questions IPS leaders are asking in the survey.
So far, the district has received more than 4,400 responses from families representing about 27 percent of their student population.
TAKE THE SURVEY | IPS Return-to-School Family Survey
Around one-third of respondents said they have someone living in their home who is considered at-risk for complications from COVID-19. That same number said they would choose e-learning if the district made it available full-time.
IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said the district is working to make sure every student has access to a device and internet hotspot if they need it. She said they're trying to find the best way to provide a quality education while keeping kids safe.
"There is no lack of complexities when thinking about how you do school when schools have been structured really to maximize efficiencies, maximize collaboration, maximize partnerships and children being in groups and talking with each other and now we're having to plan for essentially the opposite," Johnson said.
While creating classroom reentry plans, the Indiana Department of Education is advising schools to follow CDC guidelines and work with their local health departments.
Parents have until Friday to complete the survey.
