Omaha Public Schools students will begin attending school five days a week in person starting next month.
Springville Elementary was one of the schools that welcomed students back for the first time this semester after starting the year with remote learning.
Omaha Public Schools students will attend school five days a week starting next month.
The largest school district in the state made the announcement Tuesday afternoon in a letter to students and families. The letter said elementary and middle schools will transition to five days in-person per week on Feb. 2. High schools will transition to five days in-person per week on Feb. 17.
There will be no school for elementary and middle school students on Feb. 1 and no school for high school students on Feb. 16.
Remote learning will continue to be an option for students. The letter told families to contact their students’ school if they want to change how their student is learning.
It will be the first time this school year and the first time since March that OPS students will attend school in-person five days a week.
Since in-person lessons resumed in October, the district has been following the Family 3/2 model. Under that model, students throughout the district are divided into two groups, each of which attends school in person part of the week.
That model will continue until the February transition dates.
“Five days of in-person academic, social and emotional instruction will best help our students move forward,” Superintendent Cheryl Logan said in the letter to families. “Though routines will look different, we will keep responsible operations at the forefront as a local and national leader in school health and safety.”
OPS teachers have been told they could receive COVID-19 vaccines between late January and March. Under the state’s vaccination plan, people 75 and older should receive the vaccine ahead of teachers and other essential workers.
When educators are vaccinated, the state will rely on local school leaders to determine which of their employees are so essential to keeping schools operating that they should be offered the vaccination.
Bridget Blevins, spokeswoman for OPS, said the district has ongoing conversations with state and local partners to plan so OPS is ready to connect interested staff when doses are ready.
Blevins said state and local health departments can best speak to when vaccines will be available for teachers.
When asked why the district is returning to in-person lessons five days a week now, Blevins said the in-person instruction will best help students move forward after a year of significant disruption.
“Many students throughout our metro area are attending in person each day,” Blevins said. “We have an opportunity to begin our academic acceleration work in the remaining months of this school year and we owe it to our young people.”
On Monday, the Douglas County Health Department reported 160 new cases of COVID-19 and four additional deaths. The number of deaths in the county connected to the pandemic is 522.
The Health Department reported medical and surgical beds were at 74% occupancy with 394 beds available, and adult ICU beds are occupied at a 65% rate with 118 beds available.
Our best Omaha staff photos of January 2021
Our best Omaha staff photos of January 2021
An empty seating area is seen through a window at Mr. Toad's Pub in the Old Market.
Snow blankets a neighborhood near Standing Bear Lake in Omaha on Friday, January 29, 2021.
'GBR', for 'Go Big Red', is written with footprints in the snow near Standing Bear Lake in Omaha on Friday, January 29, 2021.
Snow covers cars and Blondo Street east of Northwest Radial Highway on Tuesday, January 26, 2021. The Omaha area recorded almost 12 inches of snow the day before.
Steve Snow (yes, really) uses a tractor to clear his driveway in Bennington on Tuesday. The Omaha area recorded almost a foot of snow the day before, which lefts roads slick in many spots.
Juan Lentz walks north on 42nd Street towards Leavenworth Street during a winter storm warning on Monday, January 25, 2021. Lentz estimated he had gone about four miles on his five mile walk. He normally takes the bus, but the winter weather canceled bus service, so he had to walk home.
Juan Lentz pauses while walking north on 42nd Street towards Leavenworth Street during a winter storm warning on Monday, January 25, 2021. Lentz estimated he had gone about four miles on his five mile walk. He normally takes the bus, but the winter weather canceled bus service, so he had to walk home.
Rob Baum, 68, takes a break from shoveling the sidewalk near his home along Davenport Street in Omaha on Monday, January 25, 2021. At least a half-foot of snow is expected in the Omaha-metro on Monday.
Eliza Rijal, 10, her brother Aryan Rijal, 11, and their neighbor Jordan Rine, 7, run in the snow by their homes near 170th and Fort Streets in Omaha on Monday, January 25, 2021. Forecasters were expecting 10-12 inches of snow in the Omaha-metro area on Monday.
Two people hold hands while walking south on Madison Street toward 27th Avenue in Bellevue during a winter storm warning on Monday, January 25, 2021.
Diesel, a 3-year-old tiger born in Moscow, eats raw ground beef in his enclosure at the Simmons Safari Park in Ashland.
Billy Bluejay reacts to a call against Creighton.
Omaha's McKenna Ruch spikes the ball past the fingertips of Creighton's Jaela Zimmerman in the UNO vs. Creighton volleyball game at the Sokol Arena at Creighton University in Omaha on Friday, January 22, 2021. The Jays won the match in three sets.
Rose Pokorny and her son Ryan Pokorny look through an old plat map book at their business, RK’s Bar and Grill, in Malmo on Friday.
Sydney Sehi’s plant collection has grown to between 75 and 100 since she and husband Sam recently purchased a house in Benson. At top left, a, Monstera deliciosa albo, one of Sehi’s specialty plants. At right, visitors can brew up the perfect mix for their plant at Nodest in downtown Omaha.
Mike West looks over orders at Dirty Birds inside The Switch Beer and Food Hall in Omaha. The pickled fried chicken place is doing brisk business its first month of operation.
Players gather UNO goalie Isaiah Saville before the start of their game at Baxter Arena on Wednesday, December 09, 2021. Saville has "BLM" and a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. on his helmet.
Thomas Wilkins conducts the Omaha Symphony in a performance at the Holland Performing Arts Center in Omaha on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021.
UNO's Claire Killianm left, tries to keep South Dakota State's Regan Nesheim from passing the ball late in the game at Baxter Arena on Friday, January 15, 2021.
A Nebraska license plate is seen covered in snow during a blizzard in Omaha on Friday, January 15, 2021.
Snow falls in front of a mural near 60th Street and Ames Avenue as a blizzard whips through Omaha on Friday, January 15, 2021.
Jon Jacobs cleans the snow off of his car in downtown Omaha as residents woke up to a blizzard warning on Friday, January 15, 2021. Jacobs works downtown.
About 50 Creighton students were moved into other campus housing after a ricin scare at Davis Square apartments late Thursday.
Jody Weible, a former member of Mead’s Village Planning Board, said she has developed a persistent cough because she lives near the town’s AltEn Ethanol plant. “You can’t open your windows; you can’t hang your clothes on the line,” she said.
Creighton's Shereef Mitchell takes off on a fast break as St. John's Vince Cole, left, and Greg Williams Jr. pursue in the first half on Saturday, January 09, 2021.
Creighton's Alex O'Connell gets hit by a ball as St. John's Rasheem Dunn falls over while trying to grab the loose ball in the first half on Saturday, January 09, 2021.
Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner dunks the ball against Seton Hall's Ike Obiagu.
Seniors Aysha Ridley and Quintin Idt work during a math readiness class at Gretna High School. The class is in partnership with Metro Community College.
Deer walk through snow at Zorinsky Lake in Omaha on Thursday, January 07, 2021.
A snowball is thrown at a counterprotester driving by on K Street on the north side of the Nebraska State Capitol on Wednesday. Protesters had gathered to protest the certification of President-elect Joe Biden's victory.
Fog begins to lift as the downtown Omaha skyline starts to appear as viewed from the Lincoln Monument in Council Bluffs, Iowa on Monday, January 04, 2021.
The front room at the Hepburn home. Megan loves using color; she thinks it’s more fun for daughters Harriet and Georgie. She painted the flower picture.
The Holiday Lights Festival’s New Year’s Eve Fireworks Spectacular fireworks show filled the sky over downtown Omaha Thursday.
emily.nitcher@owh.com, 402-444-1192, twitter.com/emily_nitcher
Emily Nitcher
Emily covers K-12 education, including Omaha Public Schools. Previously, Emily covered local government and the Nebraska Legislature for The World-Herald. Follow her on Twitter @emily_nitcher. Phone: 402-444-1192.
