APS- What are the chances of ES being in person 5 days a week in the fall?

[Anonymous]

DS will be starting kindergarten in the fall. His preschool is offering a "kindergarten" class next year but it's not full-day and it's not... free. I would much prefer to send him to APS IF it's 5 days a week and I'm kind of torn if it's hybrid. If it's virtual, I would choose the preschool K. I have to make a financial commitment to the school in the next few days. Obviously nobody knows for sure what will happen, but for those staying in the "know", is there any chance of APS having 5 day a week ES in the fall?

[Anonymous]

I'm concerned as well.

Which preschool has a kindergarten class?

[Anonymous]

It should be 100% chance of 5 days per week for kindergarten for fall, but who knows at this point.

[Anonymous]

I think greater than 50 percent likely, but not 100 percent.

[Anonymous]

My emails to the Superintendent and SB about this year always include something about needing to open five days per week next year. Our kids need it.

[Anonymous]

I would take the spot, especially if you work and may be challenged to monitor a five-year old's online learning. My own view is that it will be hybrid at best. There will be no vaccine for kids. If the current recommendation is masks + six feet, APS schools do not have room for everyone in the classroom while still maintaining six feet of distance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think greater than 50 percent likely, but not 100 percent.

+1 for K-2. I give it 25-50% odds for anything older. If you have a spot, can afford it, and your child is happy I'd keep them there. We could afford private and discussed it for next year, assuming we could find a spot, but our DC desperately wants to be in-person with friends after this year at home so we have agreed to ride it out next year and continue supplementing as needed. This is for an older child with established relationships, though.

[Anonymous]

It is not 100% certain, sadly. Especially since all the vaccines in trials or approved are only 12 and up, which does not bode well for elementary kids.

If you can afford it, save the private spot. If money is an issue, I'd bank on public school. It may not be perfect, but I know several kindergartners and they are doing just fine.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think they will be 5 days. They can’t even do distancing now. I don’t think we won’t be distancing in September. Sign your kid up for private. I wish we had.

[Anonymous]

I would put the deposit down at the preschool. You can always walk away from the deposit if by some miracle APS is 5 days a week. I don’t think it will be though. There is so much misinformation out there about a kids’ vaccine. First, the trials for the really young kids has not even begun. Second, even if the vaccine proves effective, there is no way it will get get a EUA given that the risk of Covid complications is extremely low. There will be a very high hurdle for this being approved for kids.

[Anonymous]

I'm in the exact same boat as you, OP, minus the alternate K option for next year. If I were you I'd pay the deposit and hope for the best in APS.

[Anonymous]

Very good chance for 12+ since they’ll likely be vaccinated. Under that, who knows?

[Anonymous]

If you need child care stay where you are at. I doubt we will go back 5 days a week and if we did, there would probably be plenty of opening and closings. We don't know when vaccines will come for all.

[Anonymous]

We had planned to send out child to a preschool kindergarten all along but that preschool had been closed since March. Our daughter had been home with a babysitter. We found another preschool kindergarten and registered her. She cannot pay attention at all to a library story time zoom or a Sunday school zoom so I know kindergarten zoom would not go well. I say put the deposit down.

[Anonymous]

If people would get their act together and not behave badly, then we could have students in class 5 days a week with state-mandated child-size N95s and lunch room plastic panels between students (no talking at lunch). Virtual option would be offered for high-risk students or families who cannot receive a vaccine for medical reasons.