Oak Creek Parent Group Urges District To Open 'Fully Virtual'

OAK CREEK, WI — A local parent advocacy group is calling for the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District to start the fall school year under a fully-virtual model, citing ongoing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus in Wisconsin.

"We call on the district and administration to open virtually," Jenny von Helms of YES For Oak Creek Schools told Patch. "This is our recommendation based on common sense and data."

Earlier this summer, the district announced their plan to open schools in-person in the fall along with a virtual option. On Thursday, the district board will be meeting to consider the district's plan, and weigh final approval.

District officials said they want to be prepared for any situation — especially if state or local health orders require a partial or full school system shutdown.

"Given the possibility that we could face intermittent closure of our sites or individual quarantines of our kids. If you can — and we realize may not be possible for everyone — we encourage families to consider tentative temporary plans in the event of intermittent school closures or quarantine," Superintendent Dan Unertl wrote on July 1 in a letter to families.

Von Helms said even with safety precautions in place, the average classroom doesn't have enough space to keep an entire class, such as 26 third-graders, apart from each other.

A Family Feedback Survey administered by the district this summer garnered 3,505 responses. The survey found that 42 percent of all parents were willing to send their child back to school if they felt confident in enhanced safety protocols at schools. Another 31 percent of parents said they did not have strong concerns about sending their child back to school in fall.

The survey also showed that 32 percent of staff members who responded felt "very comfortable" about returning to their role once school buildings physically reopened.

According to City of Oak Creek Health Department data, Oak Creek has seen its 7-day COVID-19 case average hover around 10 cases as of Tuesday. Of Oak Creek's 605 cumulative cases, officials say 65 percent have recovered. There were 189 active COVID-19 cases in Oak Creek as of Tuesday.

Oak Creek officials say 9.6 percent of all people who have been tested have resulted in confirmed COVID-19 cases.

"They're going to open, but could close a few weeks later," von Helms told Patch. "That's if you look at the data and see what's happening."