As knowledge about the COVID-19 virus has advanced, it has become clear that surface transmission is not a significant cause of virus spread. As our children continue to struggle with remote learning during this long-lasting pandemic, we urge the school board and administration to allow students in all grades to attend school on Wednesdays, alternating cohorts to allow for social distancing. 

Children are suffering from mental health challenges due to isolation. They need to interact with their peers and have as much of a sense of normalcy as possible.

They are also struggling to learn effectively due to distractions at home as well as the general challenges of learning remotely. Parents and caregivers are stretched to the breaking point and can't provide the support our children need to learn effectively from home.  

To be clear, we applaud the teachers who have made extraordinary efforts to teach our children, learning new ways of teaching and pivoting with multiple changes.

Wednesdays were originally set aside as a day to deep clean the schools. But now that knowledge on COVID-19 has advanced, we know that surface spread is a minor concern. Closing schools for a full day each week is unnecessary.

Give our children more precious classroom time by allowing alternating cohorts to attend on Wednesdays.