By Jalen Maki

Tomahawk Leader Editor

TOMAHAWK – A survey conducted by the School District of Tomahawk found that a majority of families and staff support the return to classrooms for the 2020-2021 school year.

A presentation provided by District Administrator Terry Reynolds, called “Stakeholder Input – Fall Planning,” said 50% of district families (420 respondents, 856 unique addresses), 25% of district students from grades 3 through 12, and 67% of district staff (114 employees out of 170) participated in the re-entry survey.

84.3 % of families and 76.3 % of staff supported “a return to a form of in-person learning,” according to the presentation.

Among participating families, the top three priorities were “Handwashing stations and built in procedures,” “Disinfection protocols combined with reduced sharing of tools,” and “Limited building entry by visitors.” Staff shared the same top three priorities with numbers two and three reversed and number three tied with social distancing practices.

32% of families said they’d be willing to transport their kids to and from school, while 30% report not using District transportation. 38% of students will still require busing, the presentation said.

To address the issue of some homes not having adequate internet access, the IT department purchased boosters. Survey analysis and follow-up with families regarding placement of boosters will take place. Devices for all students with Chromebooks will be provided if fully remote learning should occur again, according to the presentation.