This resource page is a community update from Maize USD 266 detailing work being done as the district prepares to open for the 2020-21 school year.

Maize Board of Education approves Together for Tomorrow (T4T) Reopening Guide

Maize Board of Education members during their regular monthly meeting Aug. 10 approved the Together for Tomorrow (T4T) Reopening Guide with the plan for the district to develop gating criteria, which provides a set of metrics board members and Maize USD 266 district officials can adopt to keep students, employees, and the OneMa1ze community safe.

The Summary Sheet below is an additional resource related to the Together for Tomorrow (T4T) Reopening Guide.

Maize Board of Education unanimously approves Sept. 8 as first day of school for 2020-21

During the Monday, July 27 Maize Board of Education special meeting, members approved a delayed start to the 2020-21 school year. The first day now will be Sept. 8, following the Labor Day weekend. Dr. Chad Higgins, Superintendent of Maize USD 266, recommended the delayed start for the sake of the health and safety of all of OneMa1ze.

Please click here to learn more.

Three important things to know right now

1. Reopening plan:

Maize Board of Education members during their regular monthly meeting Aug. 10 approved the Together for Tomorrow (T4T) Reopening Guide with the plan for the district to develop gating criteria, which provides a set of metrics board members and Maize USD 266 district officials can adopt to keep students, employees, and the OneMa1ze community safe.

The T4T Reopening Guide contains many components, including information about:

• Learning Options (hybrid and two remote options)
• Teaching and Learning
• Revised Calendar
• Operational Guidelines
• Extra- and Co-Curricular Activities

2. Survey to select learning models:

The next step for parents will be to decide officially which learning model they want for their children during the 2020-21 school year. A survey will be sent for those who wish to select a full-time remote option.

REMOTE OPTION 1: Remote Rigorous (available for students in PreK through grade 12)

This option will have students engaging in daily classes with students and faculty. They are required to meet online at specific times for classes.

REMOTE OPTION 2: Remote Independence (available for students in grades 6 through 12)

This option will have students enrolled in classes in which they work more independently, yet still with daily connections with assigned teachers. They do not meet at set times with instructors or other students online and can set their own daily/weekly schedule.

Parents who do not select a full-time remote option in the survey are indicating to the district that they wish for their children to attend school in Model 2 Hybrid plan. For families who choose this
option, students will attend school in-person on predetermined days depending on their grade level.

Pre-K through 5th grade: All students will attend school in-person on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. All students will learn remotely on Wednesdays.
6th grade through 12th grade: Each student will attend school in-person two days a week (Mondays/Thursdays for students with last names beginning with A-K or Tuesdays/Fridays for students with last names beginning with L-Z), with approximately half of the student body in school on those days. The district will make accommodations for siblings with different last names to attend school together and will communicate directly with those families. All students will learn remotely on Wednesdays.

3. 2020-21 District Calendar:

Board members on Aug. 10 also approved the proposed 2020-21 District Calendar, which you can access by clicking here.

A Message from Dr. Chad Higgins, Superintendent of Schools

District leaders and I, like so many others in our community and country, are learning just how challenging it is to make plans in an uncertain time. It seems conditions, guidance, and other factors are constantly changing. In mid-March, we rapidly moved to our Continuous Learning Plan as COVID-19 forced Kansas public schools to close. Now, we continue to research and explore options for reopening schools in less than six weeks. We realize we must be nimble and design a plan that can be flexible in the event of shut-downs or new guidelines or requirements related to social distancing, crowd limitations, etc. We recognize that we must work to balance and address the need to educate students at a highly rigorous level while protecting them and staff. Both emotion and anxiety are at an all-time high as we all construct plans with so many unknowns yet to be uncovered. 

We will continue to review the results of our ThoughtExchange survey and an even more recent parent survey. Thanks to each of you who took the time to participate in those. We also are planning another survey that will ask more specific questions regarding your feelings about school in the fall, especially about safety precautions, remote instruction, school schedules, and professional learning needs. While we may not be able to find a solution that accommodates everyone’s level of comfort and preferences, we will aim to find a resolution that looks as close to a typical school experience as possible while prioritizing the health and safety of our students and employees. Our surveys show that students, parents, and employees have varying degrees of concerns and comfort. Of course, that reflects the diversity of our student body and our community. Each student and family has a unique set of circumstances, including parent work schedules and demands, health, and access to technology.  

On June 29, we began a series of Maize Board of Education special meetings, during which district leaders and board members discuss topics related to our upcoming school year. Last week’s meeting, which you can watch on the district’s YouTube channel at bit.ly/Maize266YouTube, was focused on competency-based education. 

On July 6, our special board meeting explored operational protocols specific to health/safety, transportation, and food service. We spoke about social distancing, face coverings, workforce availability, temperature and other screenings, physical needs in our buildings, financial implications, next steps, and more. That meeting also is available on the district’s YouTube channel.

On July 13, board members will review and discuss preliminary proposals for reopening schools. Following that meeting, I will collect input from teachers, staff members, and parents through both surveys and virtual conversations.

Before we can make any final decisions as the scheduled Aug. 11 first day of school gets closer, we first must ensure that we take the time to educate ourselves and collaborate about the various factors surrounding that important decision. The reality of returning staff members and students to school in the midst of a global pandemic requires us to closely monitor trending data, which is currently a cause for concern.

We have produced this resource for our OneMa1ze community as a landing page for all things related to our efforts to provide the best possible teaching/learning environment in the coming school year to answer questions, alleviate anxiety, and demonstrate issues we must navigate at this time. While we do not know just yet exactly what the 2020-21 school year will look like, I can share that Maize USD 266 heads toward the new school year with the same guiding question that always leads us: What is best for students? While we continue to work diligently and continuously, we ask for your continued patience and grace. Thank you.

Dr. Chad Higgins

Superintendent of Schools

Maize USD 266

About Together 4 Tomorrow (T4T)

Maize USD 266 is working intensely this summer on the Together 4 Tomorrow (T4T) plan. About 100 staff members are cooperating on this initiative, which involves developing plans and options for school in 2020-21. Participants represent different departments, schools, and levels of experience and are working in seven teams. They are exploring three possible options for school next year: all students physically in schools, all students learning remotely, and a hybrid model that could present itself in many ways. While the district expects to incorporate innovations in teaching and learning as identified by the T4T process, some alterations may be implemented immediately, while other changes could be used in the future. Additional staff members of various positions and from a variety of grade levels will serve as critical reviewers of any plans or scenarios developed. 

Participating are six Curriculum and Instruction teams: PreK-5, 6-8, 9-12, Professional Learning, Supporting All Learners, and Social Emotional Learning and Supporting Families. There also is an operations team, which includes five areas of focus: Health and Safety, Personnel, Technology, Food Service, and Transportation.