After the Oak Creek-Franklin School District said that it will begin the year with all-virtual learning, it announced plans charging families $100 per week per student for a "School Day Camp." The program, which is being offered to students in kindergarten through eighth grade, will be hosted at the District's elementary and middle schools and run for the exact same hours as a normal school day.
"Each school day will have a structured schedule which will include online learning times, homework assistance, recess and outdoor activities, [and] lunch provided through OCFSD food service," Assistant Bridget Kotarak and Director of Youth Programs Heather Ryan said in an email to parents on Monday.
The program will run Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 3:05 pm for elementary school students and 8:00 am to 3:30 pm for middle school students.
"The public school wants to charge us $100 a week per kid to send our children to the same public schools they should be learning in person in," one outraged parent told "The Dan O'Donnell Show. "I’m assuming that the staff members who are monitoring this camp are not members of the teachers union. Apparently the staff can be in a school with kids and they can do so safely but a teacher can’t be in that same classroom with those same kids."
72.5% of parents told the District in a survey in July that they preferred in-person learning with a virtual option, but the Oak Creek-Franklin School Board voted last week to ignore this survey and begin the school year virtually on September 1.
"We recognize and understand the challenge that beginning the 2020-2021 school year with instructional programming occurring outside of our schools has presented for many of you as you look to balance work responsibilities and child care needs," the District said in its email to parents. "In trying to help, Youth Programs has worked with the Oak Creek Health Department to safely expand its services and staffing."
Registration for School Day Camp will be limited to 60 students at each elementary school and 75 students at each middle school.
"Correct me if I’m wrong but aren’t educators all over the state and country always complaining about unfairness in education?" a parent said. "Wouldn’t the students that get signed up and selected to go to this camp and receive supervision and help with their Virtual school work be receiving a significant advantage over those students who are not afforded the same opportunity? Apparently the schools are only safe to open if a teacher is not there and you are paying extra for it."