LSR7 Update: Sharing preliminary Fall 2020 plans

July 17, 2020

Email sent out this morning to the LSR7 staff and families:

Dear LSR7 Families:

At Lee’s Summit R-7 Schools, we’re proud of the way our school community, especially our talented staff, mobilized to provide for students as we conducted unprecedented, emergency virtual learning this spring in addition to providing meals, Internet connectivity, social-emotional support and other needs.

The global pandemic’s closure of our schools served as an important reminder of the role that public education plays not just in providing quality instruction, but supporting our students’ well-being and access to resources.

As we prepare multiple action plans to best equip us to address the pandemic’s continued impact on our school district, our goals remain to prioritize health and safety for our school family, improve and grow in our service to students, and ensure access to high-quality educational experiences.

We are eager to share our preliminary plans, informed in part by feedback from nearly 8,000 families and 1,600 staff members, for reopening our buildings this fall. Our plans have been built around the need for flexibility in order to align with evolving public health guidance and include recommendations primarily from the Jackson County Health Department, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other local and state government agencies. It is important to note that these plans could change at any time as guidance evolves.

As stated earlier, we intend to offer in-person instruction and online instruction this year. While the district hopes to provide a traditional in-person environment fortified with additional safety and health protocols this fall, it is also preparing to implement a hybrid or all-virtual model in situations when public health officials determine some or all of our students and staff can’t meet in our buildings safely. An all-online option will be offered through our R-7 Online Academy.

The following resources have been created to help families understand our anticipated plans for reopening our school buildings this fall, as well as the instructional options we intend to provide.

Roadmap to Reopening report: This report provides an overview of the district’s preliminary reopening plans.
Frequently Asked Questions: These FAQs include more detailed information about anticipated 2020-21 instruction, health and safety protocols, and program procedures.
LSR7 Reopening Website: Our new LSR7 Roadmap to Reopening web page will serve as a home for information and updates related to the reopening of our schools.

We know our families have much to consider in anticipation of our school year. On July 20, families will receive a form with directions about how to select which option they want their child to participate in this fall. Families will have until July 27 to declare which option they wish for their student(s) to engage in this semester so that we can properly address staffing. (Note: All families must still complete the registration process, which starts on July 29.)

Please note the first day of school this year is scheduled for Aug. 26, 2020. We’ll continue to keep you up-to-date, answer additional questions and provide more information both directly and at lsr7.org/reopening.

Our back-to-school efforts are informed by a mission to reinforce our learning environments with health and safety protocols that limit risk for our students and staff, allow us to provide effective, meaningful and engaging education, and support students on all fronts by meeting their unique needs.

To do that, it is critical that our commitment to safety in our buildings remains a top priority. Our plans call for the implementation of both new and refined health and safety protocols that will align with Jackson County Health Department guidance.

Uniting together in these uncertain times means in part that we all have a role to play in doing what we can to adhere to health and safety protocols for the good of our entire school community.

Thank you for your partnership, cooperation and support as we build a new reality together. No matter what the school year looks like, we are eager and ready to continue to prepare our students for success.

Best, Katy Bergen, Executive Director of Public Relations

Information found at https://www3.lsr7.org/reopening

As the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District plans for the start of the 2020-21 school year, we are committed to keeping our families, staff, students, and community members informed.

The global coronavirus is an unprecedented event in our community. As we prepare multiple action plans to help our school district prepare for the uncertainties that lie ahead, our goals will remain to prioritize health and safety for our students, staff and community while ensuring our students have access to high-quality educational experiences.

This web page will serve as a home for information and updates related to the reopening of our schools. https://www3.lsr7.org/reopening