SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - Albuquerque Public Schools officials are defending their decision to keep the state’s largest school district in remote learning.
On Wednesday night, the school board rejected a proposal aimed at partially returning students to the classroom during the coronavirus pandemic as part of a hybrid learning model.
Critics of the decision argued that it chose the needs of teachers, who have not been able to receive widespread vaccinations, over students, whose grade-failure rates have doubled under remote learning.
“It wasn’t just about teachers, although that’s certainly a consideration for us when we’re trying to work out all the details,” APS Board President Dr. David Peercy said. “Some of our northern districts (are) pretty strongly believing that it’s okay for them to go back to in-school, some of my other districts are not feeling that way. And I think that’s how you saw the vote last night.”
The board voted 4-3 against hybrid learning, keeping the district virtual through the end of the year with limited in-person groups.
Officials said that around two-thirds of teachers would not volunteer to participate in hybrid learning until vaccines were available to them or virus outbreaks dropped significantly. That would hobble the rollout and create large waiting lists for families, about half of whom want to return to in-person learning.
The board also approved a measure to allow some groups in-person instruction, including students at risk of failing or seniors who need additional help. It will be up to each school to identify which students need additional in-person instruction, district officials said.
The proposed hybrid plan would have brought back kindergarten through second grade on March 1, followed by all elementary students, officials said. Middle school and high school students would have been allowed to return once Bernalillo County’s coronavirus numbers and positivity test rate improved.
It later voted 6-1 to keep schools in remote learning.
State GOP legislators lauded the dissenting vote by board member Peggy Muller-Aragon.
“Albuquerque has again failed our students,” said Sen. Mark Moores, who represents northeast Albuquerque. “Our state is already last in education in the country, yet those who we have empowered to do something about it continue to choose to keep our students locked out.”
The votes followed conclusions from national and state officials in January that there’s strong evidence in-person learning can be done safely, particularly among lower grades.
New Mexico state officials said all schools should enter a hybrid mode, with students attending school about two days per week, starting Feb. 8. Medium-sized districts aver already started, while others also decided to remain online.
In their debate Wednesday evening, officials noted a growing acceptance of virtual learning and the logistical complications of having teachers and students juggle the demands for in-person and virtual learning under a hybrid model.
“A return to school in any sort of hybrid model was not going to be a return to normal school,” Superintendant Scott Elder said Thursday.
The vote on Wednesday to remain remote also means student-athletes will not be able to participate in fall sports, including football, soccer, volleyball and cross-country. Fall sports were delayed because of the pandemic.
In Las Cruces, school officials rolled out their plan this week. It allows high school students who opted to return to attend class in person two days a week.
Las Cruces Superintendent Karen Trujillo said the first phase of students returning Feb. 22 will be followed by another opportunity for students to return once more teachers are vaccinated. Elementary and middle school students who need additional support will be phased in starting March 1.
Under the plan, Trujillo said students are eligible to participate in sports.
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Attanasio is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. Follow Attanasio on Twitter.
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