School District of New Berlin

Updated July 31, 2020

Since the spring, the School District of New Berlin and the SDNB Re-Entry Task Force (now known as the Pandemic Response Team) have been hard at work preparing and planning for the 2020-21 school year. Administration and the task force presented a draft plan for reopening to the Board of Education on Monday, July 20. Our goal is to have students return to school for in-person instruction, five days a week, with a full distance learning option available to families who want or require it.

The School Board approved the draft plan, but it is important to understand the health situation regarding COVID-19 continues to evolve; therefore, our plans may continue to evolve as  well, right up until the start of the school year Sept. 1.

We encourage you to visit this page for ongoing and regular updates as we continue to work through and update our plans.

Also, please review the resources below, including the newly added Reopening Schools Handbook & FAQs, to help get a better understanding of how school will look in 2020-21.

Timeline and Next Steps

Latest Updates (as of July 29)

• July 29 through Aug. 5 - families will be given the opportunity to make the best choice for their child(ren) regarding returning to school or choosing a full distance learning model
• July 21 - message to families and staff regarding Board of Education's re-opening decision; launch of SDNB's 2020-21 re-opening webpages
• July 20 - administration and SDNB Re-Entry Task Force presented its draft plan to the Board of Education
• July 5-12 - staff, family survey open for feedback regarding instructional options, safety priorities, etc.
• June 25 - American Academy of Pediatrics releases guidance for school re-entry
• June 23 - Information shared with all SDNB families regarding re-entry timeline, next steps
• June 22 - Administration presents initial plan, information to the Board of Education
• June 22 - Wisconsin DPI releases Education Forward guidance
• May 21 - SDNB holds first "official" 2020-21 Re-entry Task Force Meeting
• April 16 - all K-12 public and private schools were closed for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year
• March 13 - the state temporarily closed all K-12 public and private schools as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic

Ongoing actions since school closures in spring:

• Weekly conversations / meetings with Waukesha County officials
• Weekly conversations / meetings with area superintendents, assistant superintendents, employment services directors, student services directors, business directors, etc.
• Weekly meetings for SDNB district leaders, task force and task force subcommittees

Next Steps (as of July 29)

• Ongoing - Detailed action plan development
• Ongoing - Continue to monitor evolving guidelines, and health and safety information
• Ongoing - Continue to consult with neighboring districts and county officials
• Ongoing - additional communications leading up to the first day of school
• Tuesday, Sept. 8 - first day of school