The Springfield City School District is determining protocols needed to reopen.
“The district is working hard to determine the safeguards that will need to be in place for the beginning of the 2020-21 school year. Collaboration is in place with various other school districts and our local health department,” Superintendent Bob Hill said.
Springfield plans to start school on Aug. 19, Hill said.
RELATED: Coronavirus: DeWine says he wants K-12 schools open in the fall
The Greenon Local School District will work over the summer to put together their plan.
“We will work throughout the summer to develop our Return to School plan with input from families, students, teachers and staff and await more information from the state about the parameters for returning to school,” said Superintendent Brad Silvus.
The Clark-Shawnee Local School District is following suit by also collaborating with families and teachers to formulate their plan as health and safety is the highest priority, according to Superintendent Brian Kuhn.
Urbana City Schools in Champaign County has a start date, but is hesitant to move forward with other plans.
“With the changing requirements and recommendations, it is difficult to make concrete plans,” said Urbana City Schools Superintendent Charles Thiel. “One of the key elements for us to move forward will be for the legislature and the Ohio Department of Education to allow flexibility with some of the current requirements for schools.”
Urbana plans to start school, in whatever form, on Aug. 20, Thiel said.
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Mechanicsburg Exempted Village Schools surveyed the community as part of developing their reopening plan for students to return on Aug. 21.
“The district surveyed parents, students, and staff in an effort to learn more about the positives and negatives of distance learning and remote teaching. This information will be vital in helping us plan for restarting in August,” said Superintendent Danielle Prohaska.
Triad Local School District is working on a plan to get students back to normal routines while also ensuring health and safety, according to Superintendent Vickie Hoffman.
The district has many ideas for students to return on Aug. 19, but Hoffman said they are waiting until a later date to finalize the plan.
DeWine said on Tuesday that protocols will likely be broad and allow schools to customize what works best for each district and school.
“The caveat to my entire answer is we don’t know where this pandemic is going, we don’t know where the virus is going. So, anything that I say could be washed away by new facts. But the goal is to have the kids back in the classroom,” he said.
The Ohio Department of Health is working on specific guidelines for districts to allow students to return to school.
While schools continue to develop plans, one Springfield parent is unsure about her children returning
“I do not want my children being made to sit in one room all day with no specials, and it is unsafe for a child to wear a mask for eight hours a day,” said Chrissy Zettler. “If this will be what going to school will be like in the fall, I would rather them stay home.”
Zettler has four children that attend a school in the Springfield district, and said they need the social interaction.
“We were better off homeschooling our oldest child,” she said. “The younger ones, however, were harder and they all missed their friends and social interactions. Humans are inherently social beings and especially kids need this social interaction.”
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