The Christian County Board of Education voted Thursday night to return to in-person instruction when the 2020-21 school year begins in just over a month. Parents also will have the option to enroll their children in the district’s Virtual Learning Academy.
Superintendent Chris Bentzel presented the board with three potential instruction models under which the county’s public schools could return on Aug. 27 — traditional, in-person instruction, which would be implemented with safety guidelines in place; Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI), a state program for school districts to continue teaching when classes would otherwise be canceled; and a hybrid model in which students would return to in-person instruction on an alternating schedule for only two days each week.
The models were developed by the district’s COVID-19 task force, which was composed of district leaders, school administrators, parents, community members, health officials, Bentzel said. The ability for students to reconnect and engage face-to-face with teachers and have access to important support services were among the noted advantages to in-person instruction.
“Our student population in Christian County has different needs than other student populations across Kentucky or other places,” Bentzel said. “They need us as much as we want to get them back in the building. School provides so many wrap-around services: food, health services, mental health services, extracurricular activities, post-graduation support, transition services, mentoring … and the list goes on.”
The board approved the recommendation of returning to traditional, in-person instruction by a 4-1 vote.
Board chair Linda Keller said the majority of families she’s heard from favored returning to traditional, in-person instruction and many felt that navigating the alternating schedule of a hybrid plan would be a “nightmare.”
Vice chair Tom Bell, the lone dissenter, said he felt the hybrid model was best for the health and safety of teachers and students. He also noted that while it was the most difficult to implement, it’s the easiest to transition from, which could be a consideration if the district has to consider one of the other two models because of a surge in COVID-19 cases or state mandates.
Bentzel acknowledged that the district could have to move to one of the other models, depending on COVID-19 developments.
Students expected to wear masks
Under the state’s “Healthy at School” guidance released in June, students will be expected to wear masks if at least 6 feet of space can’t be maintained in classrooms and while moving through buildings.
Bentzel said a poll that the district conducted of the community a month ago regarding coronavirus precautions revealed parents were basically split if they’d let their children return to school with a mask. It’s a challenge they’re working to address, he said.
“The mask, it needs to be present for our teachers and for our students, but if this is my classroom, and I’m obviously 6 feet away, the mask can be (down),” Bentzel said, addressing board members from the podium and gesturing with a mask around his neck. “But if I have to tell Coach Stovall to get on task, I put my mask up and talk to him. There’s obviously ways to mitigate the use of a mask and we’re going to try to teach our students and our staff members how to do that respectively and responsibly within guidelines and safety protocol.”
The district doesn’t plan to turn mask enforcement into a discipline issue, Bentzel said, adding that if a student forgets their mask, the schools will have some available.
“If a student’s not compliant with wearing a mask, we’ll pull the student aside, we’ll talk to them about the importance and if they still don’t want to comply with it, we’ll ask them to call their parent and go home for the day. If they choose to return, they will have a mask on. If they choose not to, they will have the Virtual Learning Academy.”
The district also will be required to enforce social distancing in classrooms and hallways. CCPS plans to use alternative spaces like media centers, choir and band rooms, and hallways to allow for distancing, Bentzel said.
Virtual Learning Academy
All students in the district also will have the option to enroll in the district’s new Virtual Learning Academy, which will follow the same school schedule, calendar and curriculum, allowing students to easily return to in-person instruction, said CCPS Director of Instruction Jessica Addison.
The option will differ from NTI, which can be used for short-term closures related to public health concerns. Students will enroll in the Virtual Learning Academy for the entire quarter and will receive instruction by specific teachers.
“This choice has open enrollment with unlimited capacity, and this is a choice for those parents who are still a little bit uneasy or who have students or family members with underlying health conditions,” Bentzel said.
Access to a desktop, laptop or Chromebook is required, as is access to high-quality internet. Addison noted the district used some of its CARES Act funding to purchase more student devices and can make them available to any students enrolled in the academy. Outdoor wireless access points will be available in publicized locations near the schools.
The district is asking parents interested in enrolling their children in the Virtual Learning Academy to make a commitment by July 31. Find out more about enrollment here.
(Julia Hunter is the webmaster for Hoptown Chronicle. Reach her at Julia_Hunter622@hotmail.com.)
Julia Hunter is the engagement editor for Hoptown Chronicle. Reach her at julia@hoptownchronicle.org.
