Virus forces districts to make changes hour by hour
While school districts around Union County remain open, they are making plans for the day when they won’t be and they are encouraging parents to do the same.
On Wednesday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he was not ordering schools to close, but added, “We may get to that point.”
With that in mind, officials from every district in the county said they are working with state and local public health agencies to monitor the situation. They are asking parents to begin making preparations.
“At this time, we encourage parents to begin identifying childcare accommodations in the event school is closed,” Fairbanks Superintendent Adham Schirg said.
As parents are making preparations for child care, the districts are making plans for education.
“We are building plans with our teaching and support staff to continue providing instruction in the event school is closed,” Schirg said. “This remote instruction could potentially look different for various students when considering factors like personal computer access, reliable internet access, ad child-care schedules.”
North Union students in grades 5 through 12 already take laptops home with them nightly, District Superintendent Rich Baird said. If the building closed in light of the new coronavirus, he said teachers would create lesson plans and those students would complete them online.
“Students would be able to check in with their teachers and lessons daily,” Baird explained.
Triad is a 1:1 district in which every student has a Chromebook laptop, so Superintendent Vickie Hoffman said online, distance learning could be an option. However, she said it depends on direction at the state level.
Similarly, a letter provided by Jonathan Alder Local Schools indicated the district would move toward distance learning in the case of a closure.
“We have plans in place to continue our educational mission… we will utilize online resources as appropriate to provide educational opportunities,” the letter stated.
Per the directive of Gov. DeWine, Marysville Superintendent Diane Allen said the district is putting a plan in place should it have to suspend classed.
“If it is determined that school needs to be closed, we will give parents detailed information,” a school press release states. “At this time, we encourage parents to begin identifying childcare accommodations in the event school is closed.”
If the determination is made that the schools need to be closed, parents will be given detailed information about plans for remote learning.
“We want to help families with connectivity issues so they can stay connected in case of a shut down,” Allen said.
Even so, districts know distance learning has its problems.
“It’s a lot harder to teach a kindergartener on a computer,” Hoffman said.
In North Union, preschoolers through fourth graders would use a “paper and pencil” approach with pick-up locations for lesson packets.
Older students who do not have internet access at home will also be able to pick up printed lesson materials.
Hoffman said the district does not currently have a definitive plan for continued education in the case of a closure, but staff is “working on it” now.
Schirg echoed that idea.
“We are developing contingency plans in the event of an extended closure,” Schirg said. “We are working closely with our teachers and support staff to build these plans. Even with these circumstances, our staff has embraced this challenge because they want what is best for their students.”
Baird said that in the case of a closure, the district will aim to minimize the introduction of new material. But, if the closures are for an extended period of time, he said North Union would be ready to.
Districts are taking steps to keep students, employees and the community safe, even if they are not ordered to close.
According to Allen, Marysville has already canceled a student trip to Spain and Italy planned over the upcoming spring break from March 23-27. A decision regarding the out-of-state spring break trip for the girls softball team has not been made yet.
An exchange trip to Spain for local students and planned summer trip to Japan have been canceled.
The district also made the decision Wednesday to cancel all indoor, after school activities. The schools SACC and BASE programs will remain operational for now according to a release.
The exception to this are indoor Ohio High School Athletic Association events, meaning sports and practices can proceed, but only immediate family are allowed as spectators. Outdoor OHSAA events can proceed as planned, according to the release.
Weight training, conditioning and open gyms for off-season sports are canceled.
Triad has canceled all “evening, community events” in March, including parent meetings, musical showcases, club competitions and the National Junior Honor Society induction.
Additionally, Hoffman said no visitors will be permitted in the buildings, aside from the front offices. She did say many students are “counting on us to have school,” noting that many students depend on free lunches provided by Triad.
Jonathan Alder said “there are no district-related cancellations at this time; however, this is a rapidly changing situation.”
Schirg said Fairbanks officials are “referring to Governor DeWine’s orders and recommendations, the Ohio Department of Education, and the Union County Health Department to help provide guidance as we evaluate to continuance of these activities.”
“We are disinfecting per our flu season protocol, which in addition to regular cleaning measures, includes electro-static disinfectants to our classrooms, common areas and buses,” Schirg said.
He added, “We encourage our school families to be diligent with the usual preventative measures, such as frequent and thorough hand washing and staying home when feeling ill.”
Local official said they are closely monitoring DeWine’s press conferences, knowing the order to close could come quickly. Baird said that if the order comes from the state, district plans to immediately suspend in-person teaching, but give teachers and staff a one-day planning period before distance learning begins.
Schirg said if schools do close, the district, “will provide detailed information.”
Districts differ on how missed classes will be handled.
Baird said that if North Union cancels in-person classes, but will not add to the number of calamity days or add make-up days to the school calendar, as long as students are learning from home.
Hoffman said Triad’s make-up plan would depend on directive from the state. She said there are multiple options the state may pursue. There could be a mandatory number of days canceled, she explained, with or without required makeup days.
Hoffman said school could be canceled for 14 days and there would be no need for makeup, or it could say canceled for 21 days and some days would need made up later.
“Our spring break is next week, so that helps us too,” Hoffman explained.
The state is also throwing another variable into the mix — state testing for students.
DeWine has said that if he orders schools to close, he will, “work with the legislature and schools to seek to waive testing requirements.”
Although schools are in the midst of state testing preparation, Baird said the safety of students is always the first priority.
“Our focus isn’t the results of state testing, though it’s important… we’re more concerned our students are prepared, safe and well,” he said.
Universally, district officials said they want to keep schools open, but student and community safety is the top priority.
“We care deeply for our community and the safety of our students, staff, families, and community members. We will continue to plan, responding to the recommendations of public health officials. We appreciate the support our families and community have shown to our staff over the last two weeks,” Schirg said.