Secondary students in the South Butler County School District will return to school five days per week as the school board voted 6-3 Wednesday to abandon the hybrid school reopening plan implemented Aug. 31, the first day of school.

The district began school with all elementary students returning five days per week and secondary students split into two groups.

Group A attends Monday and Tuesday, the buildings are sanitized Wednesday and Group B attends classes Thursday and Friday.

The secondary students, who are in grades six through 12, attended online classes on the three days they were not in school.

The new plan, which will see all students attending classes five days per week, will take effect Sept. 21.

Superintendent David Foley said before the vote that he really didn't have a recommendation regarding whether the board members should vote to approve a full-time return to school.

He said half of the teachers he has talked to want to get back in front of their students face to face, while the other half feels nervous about so much prolonged interaction during a pandemic.

Foley acknowledged that the remote learning program being used by students at home is not the best way to learn, as it is difficult for students to get extra help in subjects where they struggle or ask questions about material.

This is an excerpt from a larger article that appears in Friday's Butler Eagle. Subscribe online or in print to read the full article.