Freedom Area School District allowed the middle school and high school students to return in the new hybrid style on Monday, Feb. 22. From Oct. 26 through Nov. 20, of 2020, students of Freedom Middle School returned to school full in-person following two months of virtual instruction. Then the state forced the school to temporarily close and return students to fully virtual instruction, but now Freedom is getting ready to return but they have a different style. 

The new hybrid will be what is called an AA/BB. What will happen will be kids with last names that start A-L will come in on Monday and Tuesday. Then M-Z will come on Thursday and Friday, which will provide Wednesday as a cleaning day, while students are fully virtual that day. 

“I believe that we will still need to consider the county numbers for the virus, and if they get low enough to a point where we can make a decision when to return then we are ready for that as well. I do believe that we will not be in the hybrid for long and we will return back full in-person,” Mr. Ryan Smith, middle school principal, said.

Smith also stated that kids have a choice whether they want to come in-person, so if a family is not incredibly comfortable with it, then they have the choice to stay virtual. 

Josie Brenckle says that she likes that the hybrid keeps us separated from other people. Which is good for safety reasons, but says she can’t see her friends. She also says that she is really looking forward to the full in-person opportunity coming up.