Richland One set to begin hybrid model of learning Monday

Students from Pre-K to 2nd grade have the chance to come back to the classroom two days a week on Monday

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — One of the largest school districts in South Carolina is joining a wave of other districts in welcoming students back to the classroom two days a week.

Starting on Monday, students in Pre-K through second grade will have the option to return to the classroom. The students will be put in two groups, and each group will go into the classroom two days a week, and then spend the rest of the week learning online.

Since the beginning of the year, more than 20,000 students in the district have been learning online.

However, with the number of COVID-19 cases across Richland County on the decline, school officials thought the time was right to reopen their classrooms, but to do so with a staggered approach.

“Our Pre-K students and some of our kindergarten students, they haven’t been in school at all, so here in the middle of the pandemic, let’s get them in, small group if you will, and a few grade levels, get them in, get them acclimated and what things look like with social distancing, mask-wearing, and all those other protocols and procedures,” said Dr. Craig Witherspoon, the Superintendent of Richland One. 

The reopening plan, which is currently in Phase II, also calls on students from grades 3-12 to come back in two days a week starting November 4. 

Prior to the school year, Richland One had more than 100 teaching vacancies, ranking them among the top in the state.

With a large portion of students opting to keep learning exclusively online, Dr. Witherspoon says personnel physically in the building should not be an issue, and that the district has a contingency plan in case a cluster of teachers get sick.

Richland One also has launched a COVID-19 dashboard, which shows only four active cases among staff and zero among students.

With his buildings set to welcome students for the first time since March, Dr. Witherspoon says this new phase emphasizes the importance of face-to-face learning.

“We want our kids back in the classroom because that learning and that interaction, all of those things that we know that are associated with school, all helps the child learn and grow,” said Dr. Witherspoon.

For more information on Richland One’s reopening plan, click here.