We are petitioning for an elective remote learning option for students in the West Lafayette Community School Corporation. Signing this petition is not an obligation to choose remote learning, it is simply supporting those in the community who want to have that choice.

First, we respect the immense amount of effort that the WLCSC’s teachers, staff, and administrators have put into preparing for the fall. We thank you for those efforts and value all that you do for our children. We recognize there is no single solution that meets the needs of everyone and are thus requesting an additional option so that each family may choose what works best for their situation.

With regard to the WLCSC plan (here) for reopening schools in the fall, we request that a remote learning option be made available on an elective basis – that is, without requiring a doctor’s note confirming a medical condition.

We further request that this remote learning option be taught by current WLCSC teachers, not outsourced to a third-party. We value our teachers because they care deeply about our students and the community. Our school system has some of the best and most creative teachers in the nation, and we believe this is a viable option with proper planning. Other area schools have announced similar models, which can act as examples and guidance for our school corporation (TSC plan). 

An elective remote learning option as described above will provide the following benefits to students, parents, teachers, and the community as a whole:

• Reduces the number of students physically in the school, improving social distancing and decreasing the impact of potential virus spread.
• Addresses the needs of teachers in high-risk groups by providing a possible option to teach remote learning classes from their homes.
• Gives families with high-risk individuals in the home a greater ability to protect their loved ones from community spread.
• Eliminates the need to pay a third-party vendor to manage/provide remote learning.
• Protects the jobs of WLCSC teachers and staff: if many parents elect to remove their children from WLCSC and seek alternative arrangements, funding decreases could result in staff reductions.
• Eases the transition to remote learning for every student should school closures be required again in the fall.

Offering this option is well within the capabilities of our wonderful school system’s teachers and staff. We have no doubt that with proper planning and the full support of our community, WLCSC can overcome the significant challenges brought on by COVID-19 and provide the best academic year possible for all students.