Howard County phases in youngest students as part of its hybrid reopening plan

The Howard County Public School System welcomes a few thousand more students back into classrooms this week as part of its phased-in hybrid reopening.

Some students in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and first and second grade started hybrid learning this week. Half the students who chose to return in the A-group/B-group model came back Monday, while the other half will return Thursday.

Hybrid students are placed on an A-day/B-day schedule, with one group learning in person on Mondays and Tuesdays and the other group on Thursdays and Fridays. Wednesdays will remain for self-guided instruction and homework.

Two weeks ago, the 77-school system brought back 4,000 students for its five-day-a-week program. The students in “Group E” — the term the district uses for the students who returned March 1 — are those who most need in-person learning, such as students with individualized educational plans and those who were invited to the in-person small group programs in the fall. Those students were the first to receive districtwide in-person instruction since March 13, 2020.

The school system also adjusted its schedules two weeks ago to accommodate the in-person students, as well as virtual students, and provide more instructional time. All students, including those who chose to remain fully virtual, are seeing an increase in instructional time from about 12-13 hours a week to 20-25 hours.

The next phase of the hybrid model starts March 29 when students in grades 3 through 6, 9 and 12 will return, while students in grades 7, 8, 10 and 11 will come back April 12.

In total, approximately 48% of students will return for in-person learning. Here is the approximate number of students who will be in school buildings in both Group E and the two-day hybrid groups, in order of percentage of school population:

Elementary schools

Lisbon: 275 (74.9%)

Bushy Park: 397 (66.5%)

Dayton Oaks: 446 (64.3%)

West Friendship: 237 (63.4%)

Fulton: 518 (62.1%)

Triadelphia Ridge: 320 (59.5%)

Phelps Luck: 369 (58.6%)

Rockburn: 352 (58.6%)

Ilchester: 313 (57.3%)

Pointers Run: 447 (57.2%)

Northfield: 418 (57.1%)

Hammond: 348 (56.3%)

Worthington: 260 (55.8%)

Manor Woods: 385 (55.2%)

Running Brook: 221 (54.7%)

Centennial Lane: 353 (53.9%)

Atholton: 243 (53.5%)

Waterloo: 314 (53.3%)

Clarksville: 268 (52.9%)

Thunder Hill: 245 (52.4%)

Talbot Springs: 239 (52.3%)

Bollman Bridge: 364 (50.9%)

Jeffers Hill: 188 (50.8%)

St. John’s Lane: 337 (50.2%)

Elkridge: 411 (50.1%)

Veterans: 470 (49.8%)

Deep Run: 337 (48.9%)

Longfellow: 232 (47.7%)

Guilford: 242 (47.1%)

Forest Ridge: 311 (46.8%)

Bellows Spring: 318 (46.6%)

Laurel Woods: 299 (45.9%)

Waverly: 416 (45.5%)

Bryant Woods: 164 (44.9%)

Cradlerock: 207 (44.8%)

Clemens Crossing: 239 (43.9%)

Stevens Forest: 154 (43.8%)

Swansfield: 216 (43.5%)

Gorman Crossing: 326 (41.7%)

Ducketts Lane: 254 (40.4%)

Hanover Hills: 274 (34.9%)

Middle schools

Folly Quarter: 417 (63.5%)

Glenwood: 310 (61%)

Clarksville: 398 (55.4%)

Mount View: 449 (53.7%)

Lime Kiln: 342 (53.4%)

Bonnie Branch: 362 (52.4%)

Ellicott Mills: 407 (52.1%)

Patapsco: 358 (51.7%)

Burleigh Manor: 418 (49.6%)

Elkridge Landing: 348 (49.1%)

Oakland Mills: 222 (47.3%)

Dunloggin: 291 (46.6%)

Hammond: 274 (44.8%)

Mayfield Woods: 349 (44.5%)

Harper’s Choice: 217 (44.1%)

Hollifield: 335 (43.6%)

Patuxent Valley: 338 (43.3%)

Wilde Lake: 262 (40.1%)

Thomas Viaduct: 317 (38.1%)

Murray Hill: 268 (37.3%)

Lake Elkhorn: 202 (33.7%)

High schools

Glenelg: 800 (63.7%)

River Hill: 796 (54.1%)

Howard: 962 (52.8%)

Marriotts Ridge: 740 (46.3%)

Centennial: 660 (44.9%)

Atholton: 640 (43.7%)

Mt. Hebron: 701 (43.1%)

Wilde Lake: 518 (37.6%)

Reservoir: 667 (37.4%)

Long Reach: 583 (36.8%)

Hammond: 463 (35.7%)

Oakland Mills: 398 (31.9%)

Special education centers

Homewood Center: 53 (44.5%)

Cedar Lane School: 48 (41.7%)

(Note: All numbers are approximations. They do not represent the exact number of students returning for hybrid learning.)