By John Estridge
Franklin County Community School Corporation (FCCSC) will begin in-classroom learning with a start date one week later than planned.
FCCSC Board of Trustees made the decision Wednesday afternoon, July 29, during a special school board meeting. The starting date is now Wednesday, August 12, when it had been planned for Wednesday, August 5. Also, online learning will not start until Monday, August 17.
The main reason for the in-school delayed start is the Whitewater Career Center’s (WCC) board of trustees voted recently to move its starting date back one week to August 12. FCCSC Superintendent Dr. Debbie Howell and assistant superintendent Tammy Chavis said there are more than 120 students at Franklin County High School (FCHS) who attend the technical school located in Connersville.
If FCCSC went ahead with its August 5 starting date, the students who attend WCC would not have anything to do during the afternoon, when they would usually attend the WCC.
Board member Sharon Wesolowski asked why the students could not be placed in study hall during the afternoon. Chavis said FCHS does not offer study hall, and there is not a good place to put the students where they would be social distanced from each other.
Wesolowski then spoke as a parent and not a school board member. She said her children are ready to return to school, and she is ready for them to be out of the house and back in school.
Howell said when she, Chavis and board members, Beth Foster and Terry Bryant, met with school teachers Wednesday morning, the teachers were very receptive in delaying the start by one week. Foster said she went into the meeting wanting to hold onto the August 5 start date but after listening to the teachers’ opinions, decided the one-week delay would be a good idea.
One of the big reasons the teachers and administrators at the high school want the delay is the fact more than 300 students overall in the FCCSC system have opted for the online learning, and 100 of those students are high school students.
Howell said this has caused a total revamping of students’ schedules. She used the example of a freshman English class now may have only five students. However, another freshman English class may have 24. By redoing the schedules, they can balance the number of students in each class – say 12-13 in each class — and be able to social distance all of the students.
If the students are social distancing in the classroom, they do not have to wear a mask at that time, board members said.
Also, the large number of students opting for the online learning option surprised administrators and teachers. Because of the large number, FCCSC has decided to have its own teachers teach the online students. The original online option plan was for an outside vendor to be in charge of the teaching.
However, Howell said with this large number and the hope and desire that this virus danger may one day abate, they would like the online students to be on the same curriculum as the in-school students so when the time comes for all the students to be together at the school, the integration will be easier.
Also, Chavis said they have extended the date for the deadline to sign students up for the online option. There are many factors going into the extension she said.
She used the example of one family where the dad was recently put on the list to have a heart transplant. The parents do not want their children to be in an environment where they could bring home illnesses, other illnesses besides COVID but also COVID, and jeopardize the dad. This was found out after the deadline had passed. She said she could not say no to that family. Also, the virus situation is very fluid right now with a spike in cases in Franklin County.
Just after the meeting ended, the Franklin County Health Department reported there are now 60 new cases in FC since July 1, which is the largest one-month increase the county has had since figures were first charted in mid-March.
Parents, who might have wanted the in-school learning for their children, may opt now for the online learning option.
Part of the delay for the online option start date is the delivery has been delayed for the devices for hot spots at various places where students do not have good WiFi connections. Chavis and Howell said they were ordered early, but there is a shortage as all schools want them.
Chavis said the vendor, Verizon, said they should be delivered soon. According to Chavis, she prays about it every night.
With the new in-person dates, students in odd classes such as 1-3-5-7-9-11 will go to class Wednesday, August 12. Students in even grades such as K-2-4-6-8-10-12 will attend on Thursday, August 13, and all students will report on Friday, August 15.
Howell and Foster explained why they are doing the stagger start.
According to Howell, the in-school learning during the COVID situation is new to everyone. It gives them a chance to work on the transportation, eating lunch, moving around in the halls and more. Foster used an example of kindergarten students. She said one mother she talked to was upset she would not be able to walk her child into the class. However, Foster said, prior to school starting, parents can make appointments, take the child to see the classroom and the teacher. And with the staggered start, the first-grade teachers will be available to help the kindergarten students get to the right place and answer questions from them.
Wesolowski was able to gain a compromise from Howell. She asked Howell to use the extra week to do a Plan B in case the WCC delays opening again. Howell agreed to that.
With the delay in opening, the school board members had to change the school calendar. The first teacher day is now Monday, August 10, with the second teacher day, Tuesday, Aug. 11. The last student day is now Friday, May 28 instead of Friday, May 21. Graduation’s date has been moved to Sunday, June 6.
Bryant suggested instead of extending the school year by a week in May, the board members cancel the fall break and go to school during that week. Wesolowski said families plan fall vacations during break, but several board members and administrators said travel may be limited by that time.
The school board will discuss the fall break and other related topics, including fall sports, at the next meeting, Monday August 10 at 7 p.m.