SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah — The Granite School District announced a last-minute schedule change for classes Monday morning.
It affects elementary school students and their parents.
“This is an 11th hour decision because we got an 11th hour request from our association,” said district spokesman, Ben Horsley. “They wanted some additional flexibility for our smaller elementary schools.”
The Granite Education Association had asked to have the elementary schedule patterns be in line with middle and high schools within the district.
In an emergency meeting Monday morning, the board did just that.
There will be in-person and remote learning four days a week, Monday through Thursday. All students will do remote learning on Fridays.
Teachers will get Fridays as a preparation day to plan both in-class lessons and remote lessons.
The change should also relieve some stress on some of the smaller elementary schools that only have one or two teachers per grade.
“The schedule now better matches what we have already provided for secondary schools, Horsley said. “So, all of our families within Granite School District can expect in-person instruction and distance-learning Monday through Thursday. Friday will be distance-learning for all students.”
Horsley acknowledged this could disrupt plans families have made.
“That could put some pressure on families” he said. “Again, why we wanted to meet as soon as possible to address this request from the association to give parents enough time, roughly 10 days, to try and figure out childcare for Fridays.”
Granite Education Association president Mike McDonough, released this statement:
“We’re grateful that the board has listened to teacher concerns about the need for time to plan lessons for in-person and distance learning. While the teachers are still concerned about safety, this morning’s action does address GEA’s concerns about planning time for elementary teachers, and the ability for each school to design teacher assignments as benefits individual school locations.”
Classes in the Granite School District are set to start next Monday, Aug. 24.
You can watch this morning's Board of Ed meeting below.
