Oak Creek-Franklin Schools To Start Fall 'Fully Virtual'

OAK CREEK, WI — The Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District will start the fall school year under a full virtual model after a unanimous vote by the school board Thursday night.

The virtual model is the starting point for a phased-in approach that was adopted by the board Tuesday. Under the phased-in approach, district officials will review when they can go back to an in-person model.

The school year will start virtually on September 1 and district officials will review reopening criteria. That criteria is based on a COVID-19 scorecard that's updated every week. The soonest face-to-face instruction could begin at Oak Creek-Franklin schools is October 1.

"The Board knows that opening in a remote format--even if this phase only lasts a few weeks--is a hardship for many families. We will continue to do everything we can to support the unique needs of the nearly 6500 students who depend on us," Superintendent Dan Unertl wrote late Thursday.

High school and middle school athletics and activities, for one will continue under the guidance of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association and in coordination with the Oak Creek Health Department, Unertl said.

District officials said they "roughly doubled" their professional development for the coming year, tailoring it to support remote learning, and opened buildings early so teachers could use the summer to begin preparing for quarantines or closures.

"We hoped to open on the first day of school, but planned nonetheless," Unertl wrote.

Earlier this summer, the district planned to return to school in-person five days a week with health and safety guidelines in place. They also rolled out a fully-virtual option.

Tuesday's vote by the board put a final determination on how schools would resume in fall.