During the coronavirus pandemic, the biggest thing Makenna Maier missed was the interaction with her friends and teachers at Butler High School.

The sophomore longed for that connection since COVID-19 shut down in-person schools and her classroom became a laptop on a kitchen table.

“It's been really weird,” Makenna said.

It may get even stranger for Makenna, her high school friends and every child, parent and teacher in the Butler Area School District come fall.

In a seven-page plan unveiled on the district's website Thursday, Butler will offer three “Learning Pathways” for the upcoming school year in the hopes of combating the coronavirus pandemic.

And most likely beyond.

“I think it stays around,” said Butler Superintendent Brian White.

[naviga:h3]Learning pathways[/naviga:h3]

Students will be able to pick from three Learning Pathways in the fall:

Traditional school — Students would attend school Monday through Friday, as normal, during typical school hours.

Online/Cyber school — All classes will be taken remotely. Though, White pointed out, it won't be the same as the online classes during the coronavirus school closure this spring.

Hybrid school (for high school only) — High school students can take classes both in person and remotely as they choose.

White stressed the plans were designed to be as flexible as possible.

“You don't want to trap people,” White said. “We want to empower families.”

White said if a family decides to cyberschool their child, but discovers later that it isn't working out, the student can return to traditional school.

“Seats” will be saved for students from the elementary level all the way up through high school.

The district is also conducting a survey to gauge the response from teachers, parents and students.

White said nothing is completely set in stone, adding that the plans could change based on conversations with teachers and survey results.

“We want to make sure the teachers are put in the best possible position to be successful,” White said.

Results of the survey, which were included in the email to parents outlining the district's plan, will be reviewed by school officials. Parents are asked to complete the survey by May 29.

So far, White said the response has been mostly positive.

“In the last 24 hours, a lot of districts have wanted a copy of our plan and want to schedule a meeting with us,” White said. “We're very open to talk to those folks. Maybe they have ideas they can share with us as well.”

White said it took “more than a month” to come up with the preliminary outline of the plan, which was introduced to teachers and staff earlier this week and announced broadly Thursday in an email to parents.

The biggest stumbling block? How they all thought about what school should be, White said.

“Our own mindset needed to change,” White said. “We've been so used to doing things a certain way for so long.”

Once that obstacle was overcome, things started falling into place.

“I think this is something we can be proud of,” White said.

[naviga:h3]Unique perspectives[/naviga:h3]

Meghan Lucas is a K-4 STEAM teacher in the Butler Area School District.

She also has two children in school. Sarah will be entering the eighth grade and Sophia will be a senior in the fall.

Lucas has a unique perspective on the plan.

“As a teacher, I'm proud that our district has a plan,” she said. “We don't really know what's going to happen tomorrow, let alone in the fall, but they've taken time to look into the future and try to come up with something that works for everyone.”

Lucas, though, said some classes just can't be taught online.

Such as her own.

STEAM education stresses problem-solving and collaboration. It also utilizes science, mathematics and technology.

“I use robots and Bee-Bots,” Lucas said. “How do you do that without kids in the classroom? We're going to have to get creative, but that's what teachers do.”

Lucas said White kept the teachers in the loop with the plans.

“There's a lot of wiggle room,” Lucas said.

For Sophia and Sarah, though, there is no question what they want to do.

She told them the plan and asked them for their thoughts.

They responded quickly.

“We want to go to school,” Lucas said, laughing. “We want to get out of here.”

Jill Maier also has a unique perspective on the plan.

Like Lucas, she is a teacher in the district — high school math, honors algebra and geometry. She also has two daughters in the district — Avery, who will be an eighth-grader, and Makenna, who will be a junior.

Maier said math is a challenging subject to teach remotely. She found that out during the quarantine.

Maier recorded lessons to send to her students, but missed having daily contact with them.

“The best part of my day is the back and forth with the students, the conversations, the feedback,” Maier said.

[naviga:h3]Something missing?[/naviga:h3]

That socialization is also what Makenna said she would lack if she chose to take classes remotely.

“I would rather be in school,” she said. “I would rather be with my friends and see them every day. I also think it's easier to learn in person.”

Her father, Mark, isn't a teacher in the district, but he is the Butler High School girls basketball coach.

White said athletics would be unaffected by the plans.

As a parent, Mark Maier is all for the plan.

“I think they're smart,” he said. “They're being proactive. They're ahead of the curve. It's sort of like taking classes off an a la carte menu.”

Mark Maier said what he likes the most about the idea is it can cater to the needs of each individual student.

“Some may be happier taking classes at home,” Mark Maier said. “Some might be happier sitting at the lunch table with others and getting the socialization.”

Jill Maier said the one fear she has is that kids will miss out on being with one another if they choose remote learning.

“I think the socialization part is huge for the kids,” she said. “I think kids are really missing that now. I know Makenna is missing that a lot.”