The release of the new hybrid schedule for Olathe Schools (mainly high school) has brought up many concerns. It is understood that many students and parents want to return to in-person school, but the plan the school board has suddenly agreed on feels forced and dangerous for all members involved. Safety should be the number one priority, but this feels like appeasement. As a senior in high school, with a mother working in the mental health field and a father who works for a non-profit that aids vulnerable populations, we feel saddened and perplexed by the situation. I’ve been attending Olathe Schools for the entirety of my education thus far and this is the first time we have felt nervous after a decision by the board. We understand that some students truly are struggling with online school and need the personal interaction, but we believe most students can handle the challenges of online education, though it is not preferred. As an extrovert myself, and a student who has always enjoyed attending school, I wish I could appreciate the efforts that have been put into this decision, but as someone with a grandparent with many health concerns, knowing that I could not visit him while I am in school is problematic. Not only this, but I care a tremendous amount about my education—knowing that my learning time will be cut short makes me anxious that I will not learn all I need to be successful on my AP Exams at the end of the year. I am fortunate to have reliable transportation to get myself to school if I need to, but for students that require bus transport to get to and from school daily, the question of how the district will afford expensive routes, (now twice daily) is raised. I understand the option to revert to online school completely, but for fear of missing a better plan closer to the end of the semester, I do not want to subject myself to this plan, though I would really like to come back to school as well. It simply does not feel like students have enough options in this situation, especially in two short weeks. We understand the stress and all the hard work that the board has put into planning these schedules, and this is in no way an attempt to disrespect any of our members that are so tirelessly working to do what is best for our students—we just don’t believe this is the right decision during this unprecedented time.