NEWARK - While each Licking County school district will have its own specific needs in reopening amidst the coronavirus pandemic, school officials said they are working together to have some common guidelines.
Last week, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine during a press conference released state guidelines for Ohio schools to follow as they prepare for the upcoming year. Those guidelines included: vigilant assessments for symptoms, washing and sanitizing hands to prevent spread, thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing the school environment to limit spread on shared surfaces, practicing social distancing, and developing a face covering policy.
Dave Lewis, who will start as Newark City Schools' next superintendent on Aug. 1 but is already working alongside current superintendent Doug Ute, said he wasn't surprised by any of DeWine's guidelines.
He noted he understands the focus has shifted to local control, but said "it would be nice to have a little bit more specific guidance because this is a unique situation. And we're all trying to work through this together."
The greatest resource, he said, has been the ability to work with area superintendents and school districts to establish some common guidelines.
Lewis said he recently sat in on a Zoom meeting with some representatives from the district's teacher's union. He's also been involved in a few NCS administrative cabinet meetings, one of which was held last week.
"We're making good progress on what that plan (to reopen) is going to look like," Lewis said. "We're not releasing any plans yet and a lot of specifics because who knows what the next three weeks are going to bring. We're trying to wait until July 27 to send out what our specific plan is to the families and to the community."
According to Lewis, local superintendents have been meeting, working to establish a list of common guidelines, so all districts are doing the same things with respect to those guidelines. But otherwise, Lewis said all districts are different and have different needs.
Lewis said Newark City Schools is considering every option, looking at what it will look like if students return to school 100%, if they have hybrid schedules or if they continue distance learning. Lewis said staff are also looking at procedures within the buildings to limit exposure for students and staff.
Lewis said the district understands parents concerns about planning for the fall, adding it's his goal to communicate quickly and consistently.
In an email to The Advocate, Licking Valley Local Schools Superintendent David Hile said he wasn't surprised by DeWine's guidance. He said Licking County superintendents have been in regular communication with Licking County Health Commissioner Chad Brown throughout the summer.
"Licking County Health Department, under (Chad's) direction, developed guidance for school reopening," Hile wrote. "Now that the governor has issued guidance, the Licking County Health Department will now align their guidance with that coming out of the governor's office."
Scott Hartley, superintendent of North Fork Local Schools, said his district is in the process of developing their three plans and hope to have a final plan ready by Aug. 1. Hartley said his biggest concern is transportation, ensuring students are safe and the district can get them to school. He added requiring masks on the bus should help.
Dale Dickson, Johnstown-Monroe Local Schools superintendent, said his staff is reviewing the latest guidance from the state and other organizations, as well as working closely with the Licking County Health Department and other districts in Licking County to help develop local guidelines to help with daily health practices and protocols set in place for schools restarting.
Dickson said their district's goal is to have their plans completed by Aug. 1.
Jeff Brown, Granville School’s superintendent, reacted to the state guidelines on July 7, after meeting with the task force organized to provide input on the district’s eventual fall reopening – plans Brown expects to unveil around Aug. 1.
Brown expected to discuss the measures in detail with school board members, as well as rules of engagement for masks or face-coverings for staff and students, at a scheduled July 9 meeting.
“We will be using that guidance and where we believe the Licking County Health Department might fall,” to shape return plans, he said.
Southwest Licking School District Superintendent Kasey Perkins said of the governor’s release, “To be honest, I guess I wasn’t really that surprised by the guidelines. As a county, we’ve been having a lot of collaborative conversations regarding what we thought the fall might look like.”
The SWL District, she said in a July 6 interview, has a task force and multiple subcommittees in place working to formulate plans for three potential scenarios ranging from a full return, to a hybrid plan of some kind, or online learning.
She noted that a recent survey found 75% of district parents favor a return to in-person schooling.
She said she is also aiming for an Aug. 1 release of re-opening plans, but first intends to conduct some more surveys directed at determining several factors, including transportation logistics. She said with two kids permitted to a seat and masks being required, some parents may opt to transport their children themselves.
The next survey will attempt to measure how many parents will be returning students to school, or instead opting for only online instruction: “We will be offering both,” Perkins said.
“The goal is to get kids back in school," she said. "Our community has stated that’s what they want. We just have to make sure we do it in a very safe environment.”
Dr Philip Wagner, Licking Heights Superintendent, said after so much anticipation and time spent awaiting the guidelines to be issued by the state, the state guidance lacks "detail."
“Overall, I would tell you I was disappointed in the (governor's) press conference,” Wagner said in a July 6 phone interview. “We’d been waiting over a month…and I really thought there’d be more detail. I expected more direction. We’ve started to scaffold some options, and the plan was to take the state directions and meld them together with our plans. Now, it looks like we’ll have to do more work ourselves.”
Wagner said Gov. Mike DeWine’s presentation seemed far more focused on “policies, and policies usually take about three months to develop, and we don’t have three months.”
Wagner said Heights, which is split over two counties, has been working with area districts in both Franklin and Licking counties in preparing potential options for re-opening. He also praised the Licking County Health Department for its assistance to date.
“They’ve been actively helping us in developing plans,” Wagner said. He said Licking school districts were in fact scheduled the week of July 6 to participate with the county health department in some table-top exercises and scenarios related to schooling and COVID-19.
Wagner indicated in a July 2 letter to parents issued before the state guidelines were made available that same day, that the district is aiming to have a plan for public sharing “no later than Aug. 1. We’re sensitive to the of staff, and for child care, and for all the arrangements that need to be made.”
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Licking County schools looking for common reopening plan amid coronavirus - The Newark Advocate
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