With the threat of the novel coronavirus still present in daily life, Ohio’s school districts have not yet received guidance from state lawmakers on how to safely reopen buildings in the fall.
With the threat of the novel coronavirus still present in daily life, Ohio’s school districts have not yet received guidance from state lawmakers on how to safely reopen buildings in the fall.
At the June 15 Chardon Schools Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Michael Hanlon said this guidance will likely not be available until late June, leaving districts across the state approximately six weeks to prepare for a school year that will look quite different from previous years.
Hanlon also encouraged parents to complete an enrollment application for the online program, which was emailed to parents June 9 and can be accessed via the COVID-19 update link at the top of the district home page at www.chardonschools.org.
The 100-percent online option would run the entire school year, with Chardon classes taught by Chardon teachers — not a purchased, off-the-shelf curriculum from somewhere else, Hanlon said.
Availability will be on a first-come basis and the district reserves the right not to offer a particular course or grade-level virtual instruction if enrollment levels are not met.
In May, 20 percent of Chardon parents surveyed indicated they would prefer a 100-percent online option for the 2020-21 school year, rather than having their students return to school buildings in August.
Hanlon said Chardon still faces some hurdles, including approval from the Ohio Department of Education for the online blended learning program.
“There is some question in some circles about whether or not a full 100-percent virtual program can be delivered by a public school district, or if you need to have some face-to-face component with that,” Hanlon told the board. “So we’re still waiting for some clarification, but I don’t think the hurdles will be terrible and the more important part right now is getting the enrollment so we know what we’re dealing with.”
Parent response is important for planning because the enrollment numbers will help the district determine the level of staffing necessary to satisfy the demand for a fully virtual option, Hanlon said, adding it will also assist in calculating the amount of classroom space needed to meet social distance requirements for students attending in-person classes.
Some parents may be waiting to decide on virtual enrollment until the state releases reopening guidelines, but Assistant Superintendent Ed Klein said if a parent enrolls in the virtual option and later changes his or her mind, the district could most likely accommodate that change as the school year progresses.
“We have certain spots or grade levels where we’ve seen enough enrollment to constitute a (virtual) class of students,” Hanlon explained. “Fifth grade comes to mind, where we’ve seen a pretty good response rate at that grade level, but there are other grade levels where we’ve seen just a few students indicating that they want a virtual option. So that’s what I mean, it needs to be cost effective for us to deliver that program.”
On June 9, Hanlon and Klein released a video in which they discussed a color-coded planning document showing four levels of educational programming.
Level one represents “traditional school as we know it,” Klein said.
All students — except for those enrolled in the virtual option — would attend every school day, with additional health and safety precautions as required.
The second level is a hybrid system in which students would attend in-person classes 50 percent of the time, and participate in remote learning the other 50 percent of the time. The district would work to schedule families with children in multiple grade levels on the same days, Klein said.
Level three would see a return to emergency remote learning, similar to what students experienced during the final weeks of the 2019-20 school year.
“If we are required to shut down the school buildings, we would go to our red system – our level three,” Klein said.
Hanlon said preparations for the new school year include the purchase of additional Chromebooks to begin replacing end-of-lifecycle devices, in case school buildings are once again closed and students must return to emergency remote learning.
New bus routes have been planned to accommodate social distancing requirements that have been discussed by state policy makers, Hanlon said.
He told the board the passage of House Bill 164 — legislation aimed at relieving challenges faced by local school districts — includes many items that will allow schools to operate with more flexibility during the coronavirus crisis.
Gov. Mike DeWine’s education budget cuts, announced the first week of May, hit some wealthier districts hard. Chardon was set to lose 13 percent of its state funding, but HB 164 will cap those cuts at 6 percent, Hanlon said.
Treasurer Deb Armbruster told the board the district received only half a month’s worth of state funding for June, and would have to pay back over $70,000. However, HB 164 could offer relief.
“We are one of the schools that will benefit when this bill passes,” she said. “Our debt would be lessened by $192,000. So I’m really hoping at the end of June that we will not have to pay back this money.”
