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On Monday, the Bogalusa City Schools released its plan to change its method of schooling now that the state of Louisiana has officially changed to Phase Three of re-opening.

Beginning next week, the students that are currently hybrid learners (coming in group A or group B, two days a week) will begin to come to school four days a week. Those days will be Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Wednesday will remain a day for “virtual teachers” to contact students and have conferences with virtual students who need extra help.

This change will include all students, in pre-K through 12th grade, who are currently hybrid learners. All virtual students will continue virtual learning, following their regular schedule.

BCS will also allow students who are virtual learners to return to “face-to-face learning” at the end of the first nine weeks, beginning Nov. 9.

“We understand that there has been some difficulty with virtual learning for some, so therefore parents of virtual learners may request, by filling out a form, to return to school,” BCS administrators stated in a post on Facebook. “It is important that parents fill out a form requesting this move so that administrators can prepare for the transition from virtual to face-to-face learning for more students. The necessary form will be located at the school board office and on our website. The form will need to be returned to the school board office. Students who want to remain virtual learners may do so.”

Students in grades 7-12 will continue to follow the modified block schedule they are following at this time.

“In the future we may change to a regular schedule where students have all classes in one day, but we will only consider this when the health officials declare it safe to do so,” BCS administrators stated. “We will move to five-day face-to-face learning at all grade levels when it is safe to do so. We know that our situation has been challenging to say the least, but we are making every effort to do the absolute best for our students.”

In Phase Three, all safety protocols will continue, including frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces, washing and sanitizing hands, temperature checks and screening, wearing face masks, and social distancing to the greatest extent possible. Busses may transport students at 75-percent capacity, and classrooms and school facilities are able to accommodate up to 50 people in a group or setting with social distancing to the greatest extent possible.