GRANADA — The Granada-Huntley-East Chain School Board discussed back-to-school options at a work session Monday.

The board heard from Assistant Principal Taylor Topinka, who went over three possibilities. Like many other schools, the district is looking at in-person learning; a hybrid model with in-person and remote learning; and only remote learning. Topinka said a decision is expected within a little over a week, and parents will have an opportunity to voice their opinions.

A public meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday in which the community can hear the options presented, offer feedback and receive a survey.

If students return to in-person learning, there will be an option for remote learning if students or families have reservations about being in the school building.

“Our plan would be to create as much space for students as possible,” Topinka said. “We’ll try and get as much space between desks, and try and take precautions like having elementary students eating breakfast in their classrooms. We’ll also try to get some signage to encourage directional walking, and we’ll also have grade-level teachers work out a plan to stagger release times for lunch so we don’t have the entire middle school and high school come down in a giant heard like they normally do.”

Superintendent Doug Storbeck noted that, for the moment, students will sit on one side of a lunch table.

“We’re also looking at the possibility of getting some clear plastic dividers so they can resume sitting across from each other,” he said. “Ultimately, we are beings who like to communicate with each other, and that’s an important part of growing up.”

Discussing the hybrid plan, Topinka again noted that remote learning will still be an option.

“The bare bones of this plan is that, in grades K through 5, every student would still be able to attend in person,” he said. “We’d start to split it up a little more at the middle and high school level on the basis of last name into two groups. We stuck with that in order to try and keep same-family students together.

“We’re also planning on a third group, a group C. This would be a certain group of students that would come every day. We still have a little bit of wiggle room before we start encroaching on our 50 percent margin for middle school and high school, and we’d like to get all our special education students here.”

Finally, Topinka touched on the remote learning option.

“What we’d like to do is have significant modifications from where we were last spring,” he said. “We don’t want students to think this is going to be the same as last spring, if this is the option we choose.

“If we do go to remote learning, students will be expected to abide by the same schedule as if they were in the building. So a middle or high school student would need to check in with their advisory teacher at 8:15. When third hour comes around, they need to check in then and go through the same expectations as if they were in the building.

“For elementary, we will be as flexible and accommodating as possible, while still having students check in at a certain time throughout the day. We do understand elementary students require a lot more guidance from parents and adults to walk them through their remote learning day.”

Masks will be required for students and teachers in the building, in both the in-person and hybrid models. Topinka said students will have some relief from wearing the masks all day.

“It’s going to be a tall order to have that mask on for eight hours consistently during the school day,” he said. “So we are going to build in three designated mask breaks throughout the day. Those will be times when teachers can make sure that the kids can socially distance and take their masks off for a short period of time.”