Emotions are running high in the West Seneca Central School District as students continue remote learning.

What You Need To Know

  • West Seneca Central Schools started the school year remotely
  • The district recently unveiled hybrid plans to phase students back into the classroom from November to January
  • Dozens protested before a district BoE meeting calling for students to physically return to school sooner rather than later 
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Students and parents sounded off amid their mounting frustration with the West Seneca Central School District.

West Seneca parent Alizabeth Dobiesz said, "It is of the upmost importance to have them back five days a week."

The district started the school year remotely but recently unveiled hybrid options that would phase in students starting next month and up through early January.

Molly Dana, a West Seneca parent, said, "January is ridiculous."

Dana isn't the only one who feels that way. Dozens protested outside West Seneca West High School to let the Board of Education know they want students physically in school sooner than the given timeline. 

"She complains her eyes hurt from staring at a screen, she just doesn't have the attention span that is being required of her," Dobiesz said when describing her young daughter's experience with remote learning.

Vera Stolzenberg, who's a high schooler in the district, said, "We even spend a class having a technical issue instead of like learning what we were supposed to."

Many argued for a seat at the table when it comes to decisions about bringing students back to the classroom.

Dana said, "Parents, teachers, administrators, the community to find solutions and we want the solutions quickly."

Following the protest, the district's Board of Education held a work session where the superintendent expressed his understanding of these concerns. He says they're trying to figure out how to ensure students have enough contact with their teachers in a hybrid model.

"I feel it is appropriate to take a little bit more time to plan and offer something that is going to offer that daily contact as opposed to putting out a hybrid plan where there would be windows of time where they're not having the interactions with their teachers," said West Seneca Central School District Superintendent Matthew Bystrak.

The superintendent hopes to release more details about the phase-in plans as early as next week.