The Perry School Board held a special meeting Wednesday afternoon to discuss the online option for their Return to Learn Plan for the upcoming school year. 

Superintendent Clark Wicks started the meeting by giving an update from the latest public health proclamation from Governor Kim Reynolds. The proclamation requires schools to offer on-site learning with no less than 50% of the time, which mostly doesn’t affect Perry’s plan as they’ve already approved it  and features 100% on-site learning. Then a building administrator provided an update to the Board and reported what challenges they’re expecting. 

A common theme from the meeting was the term commitment. Superintendent Wicks, the Board, and school administrators made sure to emphasize that electing to partake in the online learning option is a major commitment for both the parents and students. The plan lays out expectations which are just the same as the on-site expectations. The meeting ended with Wicks speaking about the importance of everyone coming together, “I know there is a high stress level, but you know what? We can do this. And we will get through this, but it will take us time. This isn’t the time to look at how everything won’t work. We could shoot holes through everything. But now I’m asking everybody, including the media, including the Board, including our administrators, and including every staff member, this is all Perry Schools. This is all Perry community, and now is the time to rally.”

Parents will be receiving information regarding meetings planned for next week to further discuss this online learning plan. The tentative schedule includes the meeting for parents of high school students on Monday, middle school on Tuesday, and elementary school on Wednesday all starting at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. The Board approved the plan and will be revisiting it monthly along with the on-site Return to Learn Plan.