RACINE, Wis. — Ten-year-old Reece Booker is a fifth-grader at Jerstad Agerholm in the Racine Unified School District. 

His favorite class is gym class, because of something called the pacer test. 

“[It’s] where you test your endurance running back and forth just across the gym a whole bunch of times,” Reece said. "I don’t know why, it’s just so fun.”

Gym class, and all of Reece's classes are virtual. His bedroom's become his classroom.

“Virtual gym class is my son standing up in his bedroom and pretending he’s dribbling a basketball. Or, pretending he’s doing whatever exercise it is. These are the things we’re missing,” said Jesse Booker, Reece’s father. 

Starting March 1, students in Racine will start to return to the classroom. 

“We will phase in our students, beginning on March 1st. We’re gonna start with our elementary students and our entry point grades, sixth and ninth graders. And then, also bringing back our seniors on March 1st right away,” said Stacy Tapp, chief of communications and community engagement at Racine unified school districts. "We want to get them in the building and get them any additional supports they might need to make sure they’re ready to cross the finish line this spring for graduation.”

The district prepared over the past year for students to return to class safely. 

Social distancing in a school isn’t always easy. So, masks are required to be worn by students and staff to slow the spread of COVID-19. 

If students don’t have a mask, there’s no need to worry. The district bought nearly 65,000 cloth masks which is enough to give to every student between two to four coverings. 

“We just want to make sure that they do have them, and that they have enough so that they can rotate them,” Tapp said. 

Jesse supports the school’s reopening plan. He feels the school is doing everything it can to keep everyone safe and give students the best opportunity to succeed. 

“The extra circulars are really where the children are struggling. People who want to play instruments or want to sing or want to do the extra circulars, that is the biggest miss in virtual learning in my opinion,” Jesse said. 

Reece is excited to go back to class, too, especially gym and math class. 

He said he already knows the first thing he’ll do when the doors open. 

“I’ll just say hi to everyone, you know? Catch up with everyone, see how they’re doing,” Reece said. 

The district also purchased enough face shields for every student. Wearing a face shield in class is optional. The district also said the nurses and other health staff have surgical masks and other PPE.