The Maplewood Richmond Heights School District Board of Education voted unanimously on Monday, April 5 to transition the District into a Tier 1 learning mode effective Monday, April 26. This new designation means that for families who selected the MRH Option 1 Tiered plan, all students will receive in-school instruction, all day, 5 days per week with extensive safety procedures in place. The Tier 1 designation will have no bearing on the instructional status of students whose families chose the MRH Option 2 Virtual Academy for this semester. The MRH Pre-K program will remain on hiatus for the remainder of the semester.
In addition to the benefits of in-person interaction with teachers, the most visible changes in Tier 1 operations will center on classroom capacity, transportation and meal service.
In keeping with the most recent guidance from health experts on safe social distancing, it is now possible to safely increase both the student capacity in classrooms and the ridership numbers on school buses. CDC now recommends that, with universal masking, students should maintain a distance of at least 3 feet in classroom settings. On buses, some seats will now be occupied by 2 students. Be assured, we are not letting down our guard. In classrooms, plexiglass will remain in place and desks will be positioned in accordance with the latest social distancing guidelines. All bus riders must remain properly masked, interiors will be ventilated and surfaces will be disinfected between routes. No open food or drink will be allowed on MRH buses.
With meal service, older students may begin eating lunches in the cafeteria as well as in other designated spaces i.e. the outdoor commons, first floor seated space and the Research & Design Center. This system is designed to achieve maximum distancing. Elementary school students will be given opportunities to eat lunch outdoors whenever weather permits. Again, protective layers such as handwashing before and after meals will be enforced.
Because the features of Tier 1 operations will differ from building to building, you will be receiving messages from principals with specific outlines for all grade levels. Those messages are coming very soon. They will also be posted on the MRH website at this link.
In order for Tier 1 to succeed, we must adhere to many of the safety protocols which helped us reach this landmark point. Those include restrictions on visitors to our buildings, daily self-checks for health status, consistent and proper masking and the use of quarantine/isolation when necessary.
The entire MRH staff and Board of Education are grateful for your patience and for your support throughout this most unusual year. Again, the effective date for the beginning of Tier 1 instruction is Monday, April 26.
For more information, contact MRH School District at (314) 644-4400.