2020-21 school year could start as early as Aug. 3

Stutting says all options are on the table as district prepares to move forward

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There’s no doubt there will be educational learning gaps for students after having missed nearly a quarter of the school year. To help alleviate those gaps, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds also waived the late start date for schools, meaning they could reopen as early as Aug. 3.

Stutting hopes to begin those conversations soon.

“Starting early is definitely on the table,” he said, “and I will be having regional discussions with Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley and Davenport. The state wants everybody to have a plan in place by July 1 about how we will close those gaps.”

Stutting said he is certainly open to moving the start date up from Aug. 24, but emphasized there are numerous factors to be considered.

“One big thing is that if we started on Aug. 24, that adds an entire month to this break that we’ve been having,” he said. “We need to get kids back sooner, and back in routine, as long as we have the COVID virus under control.

“It would make sense to start early, and then take different breaks throughout the next school year, just to get going. There are a lot of moving parts to this, and now that we know, we can start tackling them. For me, it will be getting in the routine of educating kids online, and then start planning for next year.”

Stutting said that there are already contracts in place for next year, and that you can’t suddenly make teachers work more, and that there’s no way that you can jump from a school year of 180 days to 200.

“That would cost money,” he said. “If the state gives us more money, then hey, it would be a great way to close some of those gaps.”

However, if the 180-day requirement stays the same, Stutting said schools could start early and then take more breaks during the year.

He knows the district has its work cut out, but he said school staff is up for the challenge.

“Adjusting to this new normal is tough, but we also know that better days are ahead,” he said. “The more we follow CDC guidelines and do what we need to do, we’ll be back sooner.

“We’re looking forward to next school year, whether it’s Aug. 3 or 4, or Aug. 23, and getting our kids back and having our staff and kids together.

“We also know that better days are ahead,” he continued, “and that this is a blink of an eye in the reality of a lifetime. If we do our part now, the sooner we get back.” 

Kim Reynolds, COVID-19, coronavirus, Joe Stutting, Bettendorf Community School District, Pleasant Valley Community School District, Davenport Community School District, North Scott School District,

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