Lee's Summit parents, students protest for in-person learning to start school year

LSR7 parents, students protest for in-person learning

GOTTEN BACK TO US.TONIGHT PARENTS ANDSTUDENTS IN THE LEE'SSUMMIT SCHOOL DISTRICTRALLIED -- ASKING THEDISTRICT TO ALLOWSTUDENTS BACK IN THECLASSROOM WHENSCHOOL STARTSSEPTEMBER 8TH.IT COMES AFTER 71-PERCENT OF PARENTSRESPONDED TO A SURVEYWANTING IN -PERSONINSTRUCTION,41 ACTION NEWS ANCHORGABRIELLA PAGAN FOUNDOUT WHY THEY FEEL IT'SIMPORTANT.Dana White / Open Our JacksonCounty Schools"All we are trying to do is getour kids in school, we are notbad people we are justparents."THE NEWLY FORMEDGROUP "OPEN OURJACKSON COUNTYSCHOOLS" DOES NOTWANT VIRTUAL LEARNINGAT THE START OF THE FALLSEMESTER.Jillian White/Incoming 5thGrader" I would like to go to inpersonschool obviously I would liketo have everybody be safeand comfortable but for meand my perspective I reallyjust love school and I did notlike online school as much as Iwish I would have."Dana Scheidt/ Open Our JacksonCounty Schools"All we're asking for is thechoice, the choice to decidewhat is safe for our child andwhat's not."THE DISTRICT PUSHEDBACK THE START DATE TOHAVE A BETTER CHANCEOF COMING BACK TO THECLASSROOM IF THERE IS ADECREASE IN COMMUNITYSPREAD.Dana Scheidt/ Open Our JacksonCounty Schools"what I say to that is if you'resick stay home, you know allthe normal things."IT'S A DECISION BEINGDEBATED ACROSS THESTATE - WITH MANYDISTRICTS CONSULTINGLOCAL HEALTH OFFICIALSSteve Lauer, pediatrician - ViceChairof Pediatrics at the UniversityofKansas Health System"We have some really seriouseducational challenges in thiscountry that are going to beincredibly difficult to get overso it's all, there's risk andbenefits on everything."RISING SENIOR KATIEMEAD ADMITS SHE'SCONCERNED ABOUT COVIDTOO - BUT MORECONCERNED ABOUT HERFUTURE.Katie Mead/ LSR-7 Senior"I'm going to the hardest yearof my life with collegedecisions and trying to figureout what I wanna do with mylife and that itself is reallyscary and trying to do thatalone right now is terrifying."HOPING DISTRICTOFFICIALS HEAR HER OUT -THAT SCHOOL IS MORETHAN THE EDUCATIONASPECTMead" I understand the safety is aproblem but I think most of thekids in Lee's Summit we wantto go back everybody I'vetalked to wants to go back andI think that's a risk we are allwilling to take."IN LEE'S SUMMIT, GP, 41ACTION NEWS.THE LEE'S SUMMITSCHOOL DISTRICT SENT USTHIS RESPONSE.WHILE WE ARE EAGERAND READY TO SERVE OURSTUDENTS IN OURBUILDINGS AGAIN, THEHEALTH DEPARTMENT HASRECOMMENDED WE BEGINCLASSES VIRTUALLY IFCOMMUNITY SPREADDOESN'T IMPROVE.WE WANT TO BE ATSCHOOL IN-PERSON.WE ARE ALSO COMMITTEDTO OUR DUTY TO KEEPOUR STUDENTS AND STAFFSAFE AND HEALTHY TOOUR GREATEST ABILITY