On July 25, a vote by the Douglas County School Board to support Superintendent Tucker’s “hybrid” education plan was one of the most tone-deaf decisions by a governing board I’ve seen. The plan, putting students in physical schooling two days a week and e-learning for three, was a slap in the face to our county’s hard-working families.

And, frankly, school board members should be ashamed.

The safety and protection of our children, teachers and school staff should always be number one. But it’s what “safety” is in the era of COVID-19 that’s running amok. It appears decisions are devoid of the science being provided by number-crunching health departments. And discrepancies are vast in the county’s plan: Daycare operations will remain open Monday through Friday, and children with special learning disabilities will still access physical support four days a week. If COVID-19 is such a health hazard, why not adopt across-the-board preventive measures?

Meanwhile, with stricter standards in place, such as temperature screenings, our local retailers remain open seven days a week with less restrictive requirements. And now, our community’s single parents and dual-income partners will bear the brunt of this plan, finding drastic measures to keep food on the table while ensuring children are looked after when not in school. Eighty percent of Coloradans live in dual-income households — no wonder 84% of Douglas County parents want in-school teaching.

Our school board failed us with this vote. It will be reflected during next year’s school board races.

Stephen Collier

Highlands Ranch