The Blue Ridge Board of Education last week decided to allow remote-learners to return to their school building starting Wednesday, November 4.

On the WHOW Morning Show Tuesday, Superintendent Dr. Hilary Stanifer indicated they received feedback from their community and found there was an overwhelming amount of support for bringing back remote learners.

Given the increased cases in Illinois and across the nation, Dr. Stanifer recognizes the timing may not seem ideal but she indicates she has been listening to the officials with the health department and watching a lot of the data and feels this is a decision that is best for their community.

Many remote learners in the Blue Ridge district indicated in a survey they would like to return and expressed issues with the remote learning setting. Dr. Stanifer points out that wasn't everyone and notes there were opinions all over the spectrum.

According to Dr. Stanifer, the bus routes will all change because 20 more students will be rejoining the student population on top of re-integrating their learners on alternate days from their peers. Additionally, parents will be asked to self-certify the health of their students before they come to school each day, and students in K-6 will remain in the classrooms while the teachers will move from classroom to classroom. At the junior high school, kids will move from classroom to classroom and teachers will sanitize all the desks between periods. She calls it a lot of extra work to make sure kids will be safe.

Tuesday was the final day for parents and students to decide to return to in-person learning for the remainder of the semester.