DAVIS COUNTY — Debate over school plans in Davis County continued Wednesday after dozens of parents protested or commented in a meeting with the school board Tuesday night, calling for a five-day, in-class school week.

An emergency district meeting is now set for Thursday at 6 p.m.

Class sizes in Utah are some of the biggest in the country. Board members are concerned that putting all students in the schools at once would make it virtually impossible to properly social distance. They came up with the two-day a week plan, with three days of virtual learning, based on recommendations from the Davis Health Department.

With school just a few weeks away, many parents like Michael Kennard would like to know to prepare, and what to expect.

“I’d love for this to be final,” Kennard said. “Hopefully the outcome is they go back to five days. We’ve got to know what’s really going to happen.”

There are also a lot of parents who support the current plan.

The current two-day a week plan works well for parents like Alan Christensen.

“I have asthma. My 8-year-old daughter has asthma, so I prioritize safety for me and my family right now. I can’t control what others do out in public right now, but I think my main concern is me and my child’s safety,” Christensen said.

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Parents rally for 5-day, in-person learning at Davis School District

The back-to-school debate was front and center at the Davis School District Tuesday as parents rallied and pushed back against the district’s updated hybrid model for returning students to the classroom.

While in-person learning may be good for his daughter, he worries about a lack of social distancing. The plan seemed like a good balance.

Still, for others, the in-class learning from teachers, the professionals, is essential.

“I really believe being at school, with their peers, learning together with their teachers, is the best solution,” Kennard said.

Davis School District spokeswoman Shauna Lund said the school board made their plans in trying to follow county health department guidelines.

“With the current class sizes that we put into our schools, and the size of a school classroom, it is not possible to provide six feet physical distancing with all of the students in a classroom,” Lund said.

Lund added school buses would be for the most part full on a five-day schedule.

Parents should know more after Thursday’s emergency meeting.

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