“I do anticipate it will look and feel differently than it normally does. My goal right now to get the guidelines and be ascreative as possible to keep the kids safe while having in-person instruction,” said Superintendent Joe Buerkley.
Pendleton County Superintendent is quick to point that the time till the first day of school scheduled for Friday, August 14 is about the same amount of time since the last day of school on Friday, March 13. School was closed on tht date because of Covid-19 and, while many thought they might return at some point in the 2019-20 school year, that did not occur.
“We have seen a tremendous amount of change in so much being closed to what is now opened in the last 12 weeks. I am hoping that we see that same amount of change in the next 12 weeks before school starts,” he offered, hoping that what he is planning for might not be the reality come that first day of school.
“Everything is fluid and changes almost weekly,” he added. As an example, he pointed out that the guidelines that were offered for school buses two weeks ago that were seen as unchanging could possibly be changing as early as this week.
The CDC guidelines for starting school in the fall calls for one child per seat with an empty seat between them. With the size of Pendleton County school buses, that would be around 12 students per bus and effectively make in-person school unrealistic.
But he is hearing that those guidelines may be changing in upcoming guidance that will be provided to schools.
As Governor Andy Beshear has released a Healthy at Work and Healthy at Home, an expectation is that he will soon release a Healthy at School, providing more guidance to schools concerning what they will need to do in the fall. Last week, it was sent to the Kentucky Department of Education for their review and then was returned to the governor’s office. When it will be released to the public is unknown.
“We are the public, meaning that I don’t view these any earlier than anyone else. When they are put on the government website is when I will be able to access and then review it. Superintendents have expressed some frustration that its difficult to plan for next year when we don’t know what the rules for next year will be,” said Buerkley.
Presently, the information being provided to schools has more questions than answers; for example, one document provides a list of 23 questions, six risk factors and no answers.
That is understandable as everyone is plowing new ground with the Covid-19 virus and how the schools need to react and prepare.
“It is important to stay calm as we are reading through things and don’t have to have a concrete plan right now because things can change,” he added.
MASKS
Based on the guidelines presently in place, students will be expected to wear a mask during the entire school day. Buerkley has plans to have 5,000 masks available on day one, and they will be monitoring the usage weekly.
Based on rules as of Friday, June 5, a day for students who ride a bus will start with the bus driver taking their temperatures and distributing masks before allowing the students on the bus. Each bus rider will be required to wear a mask during the bus ride.
Students dropped off by parents or student drivers will have their temperatures taken at the school before entering and also will be required to put on a mask before entering the building.
Will it be a disciplinary issue if students refuse to wear a mask?
“That has been asked but not answered. If the student has a health issue that prevents them from wearing a mask, they won’t be asked to. I don’t anticipate a situation where a student takes their mask off because they are hot, that’s not going to be a disciplinary type issue, but overall the expectation for us to conduct school safely at this point, masks are going to be a new norm,” Buerkley said who added that students will have flexibility to wear cloth masks they choose, they do have an obligation to provide masks
CLASS SIZE
The state has regulations on class size and Pendleton County abides by a 24:1 student/teacher ratio for elementary classes.
“Right now, and I keep saying that because by next Tuesday that number can change, they are not giving us a number, but when we get a Healthy at School document, we expect specific numbers,” he said.
He indicated they are going to have to look at the space they have and how they best can reconfigure classrooms to serve students. They might have to move things out of the classroom.
Buerkley said that they are looking into teachers changing rooms with the students staying in rooms at the elementary level where students had been changing rooms for certain subject areas.
“I think the high school schedule poses more problems,” he said.
A POSITIVE CASE
If a positive case, whether it is with a student or a teacher, arises when the new school year starts, Buerkley expects school to have to be canceled while contact tracing is conducted to help lessen any spread of the virus.
The school board recently committed financially to providing funding for a large purchase of laptops.
“Presently, we have a one to one ratio of technology to student for the third through twelfth grade,” Buerkley pointed out. He added it was something that he wanted to do, and Covid-19 led to it happening more quickly..
“This has put another tool in our toolbox,” he said. Also, teachers were given training on how to better do NTI in case of the possibility of using it next year.
This will allow each student’s computer to be loaded with NTI assignments and, if school is canceled because of a positive case, the students will already have assignments to complete and a day of instruction will continue.
“They (state level) are hiring people for contact tracing, and once they are notified of a student having a positive case, they will contact the person, and I am anticipating having to cancel school to allow them to do contact tracing. They will provide guidance on how long we would be off school,” he said.
He felt they might be off a couple days but then would be able to return to school while those who were in contact might have to stay home.
Students will have the laptops in their hands at the start of the school year to familiarize themselves with them.
“That was a normal purchase in a school system. I was excited for us to be able to make, and I feel it jump-started us in the right direction to provide the 21st Century education we need to,” he added. He shot down the rumors that they were purchased because school was being planned to start with NTI instruction.
CONCERNED PARENTS
For those parents who are at-risk because of health issues or age will have a choice to consider allowing their children or grandchildrend to attend in-person schooling.
“We know that when school starts back, that whatever the guidelines are, we will have scenarios and situations like that. We have had conversations among our leadership team as to how we can make opportunities available for those kids and what that would look like,” he said. He confirmed that leadership will have to be flexible.
Right now, they have not been given any guidance from the state nor is there a virtual school to offer.
ATHLETICS
Buerkley expressed frustration that academic programs are still not allowed to meet but athletics is, but with strict regulation.
The 21st Century summer program works with students that are behind, but those are still closed as state guidelines does not allow them to meet even with a group of fewer than 10 students.
“I am supportive of athletics, and I played, but I was a little disappointed that the athletics piece was passed and put back into play as it was. Right now, I cannot have summer school at the high school. My 21st Century clubs have to be virtual, yet I am allowed to have athletics come back to the school. Why can’t I have a group of 10 come back to the school for an academic purpose?” he asked.
While the dead period that originally took place during Covid-19 has been removed, athletics are allowed to start up on a voluntariliy basis but with strict guidelines that include a limit of 10 per group including the coach. No equipment is to be allowed. That is the guideline for the month of June.
Guidelines after July 12 are still to be determined.
Pendleton County will be abiding by the normal dead period from June 25 through July 10 which prohibits activities during those dates.
“While we might not like what it says, it is a sentence with a period at the end of it and not a question mark. So, we know what we have to do,” he pointed out about the guidelines from KHSAA.
Buerkley also expressed frustration that athletics are allowed to restart although in a restrictive format but academic programs are not.
Athletic Director Jordan Woodruff is creating an itenary regarding what coaches will have to do. This includes taking the temperatures of athletes before they get out of the car.
The school had bought 75 thermometers for its use, and it had to order more for coaches.
Athletes will need to bring their own water bottles and water as the present guidelines prohibit water bottles being provided. The coach, wearing gloves would be allowed to press the button on a water cooler while the athletes fills up their own bottles.
The increased usage of masks and issues with water runs contrary with heat index guidelines and will present problems as the heat of July and August begins.
Over the past months and leading up to August 14, the school buildings are being cleaned and sanitized and supplies are being purchased not only to clean the buildings after the school day but also for the possiblity of teachers needing to clean their rooms between classes.
“I am anticipating when we get this new document that it will be a lot clearer and more specific to schools. I don’t know that I will like what I read, but it should be clearer,” Buerkley added.
Whatever the next 12 weeks hold for schools, Pendleton County Schools will be moving toward in-person instruction on Friday, August 14.