HSE survey coming, plus virtual learning options for next school year
By LARRY LANNAN
HSE Schools administrators reviewed plans for the remainder of this school year and virtual learning options in the next school year Wednesday night, while the board debated the speed of returning the students to in-person classes. One board member questioned the speed of district surveys to instruct next steps.
Bourff
Superintendent Allen Bourff told the board a survey is coming for parents of seventh- and eighth-grade students, and a survey is in the works for high school parents and possibly high school students. Some families have built themselves around the hybrid system of class attendance being used now, but others want an in-person school experience. The goal of the surveys would be to measure the community’s views.
A return to classrooms could come as soon as April 12, according the Bourff.
Board member Suzanne Thomas questioned why surveys had not been done earlier, but other board members responded there are good reasons to conduct the survey now. Bourff said school officials are reviewing the new Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance as plans are made for the future.
Assistant Superintendent Matt Kegley briefed board members on plans to offer an all-virtual option for families in the 2021-2022 school year. There is not enough time to establish virtual schools themselves, so any virtual option will be a program, not a full school.
State lawmakers are looking to fund virtual school at 100 percent; current law funds virtual schools at 85 percent.
Kegley acknowledged the stress teachers have been under with in-person and virtual students. Preliminary plans call for families making a commitment to keep their child in the all-virtual program for a semester, or possibly the entire school year. Kegley said he expects to provide more information, and possibly a recommendation, on the all-virtual option at the March 24 board meeting.
In other action, the board approved a $1.4 million bid to resurface parking lots at HSE Schools. The project had been budgeted at $1.8 million, so the bid came in under the estimates. A new technology network was approved for HSE High School, replacing the current system, which is more than 10 years old. The board also voted to destroy audio recordings of past meetings that are many years old.
Westfield Washington Supt. Chris Baldwin details plan to increase in-person learning
Editor’s note: Westfield Washington Schools Interim Superintendent Chris Baldwin sent the following message to WWS families this past week.
Baldwin
Rocks community,
As COVID-19 case numbers continue to trend in the right direction in our schools and in the community, WWS administrators, in collaboration with the Hamilton County Health Department, have begun planning for increased in-person learning for students in grades 7-12. With full support from the health department, we have selected Monday, April 26, to update the 7-12 hybrid plan to four days a week (Monday through Thursday) with Friday remaining a district-wide virtual learning day.
We believe this is the safest return date for staff and students and is the best way to minimize the impact of potential spread after Spring Break while providing flexibility to make adjustments in the event of any COVID-related issues.
NOTE: K-6 will remain in-person Monday through Thursday, with Friday as a virtual learning day.
Our success in safely increasing in-person learning is completely contingent on our ability to continue to keep cases low, monitoring conditions after Spring Break, and the continued guidance from the Hamilton County Health Department. It is more important than ever that we stay home when sick, properly mask, and report symptoms in the lead up to this transition.
As the health and safety of students and staff is always a top priority, masking will continue to be required and buildings will continue to practice vigilant hygiene procedures to help reduce the spread of germs. Fridays will continue to be district-wide virtual learning days to facilitate coordination with quarantined students, afford teachers time for professional development and allow teachers to have proper planning time.
If you do not wish for your student(s) to be in-person four days a week, you still have the option to switch to the 100 percent virtual platform. The middle and high school will reach out to families with additional information.
I would like to thank you for your continued support and flexibility during this unique school year. I want to thank the teachers, staff and administrators for their selfless work ethic and unwavering dedication to the education of our students. Without them, this school year and school district would not be what it is today. We are all looking forward to finishing the school year on a strong, positive note and I thank you all, in advance, for doing your part to make that happen.
Carmel Clay, Noblesville schools eye plans to put all students back in classrooms
By LOGAN GAY
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
Getting teachers vaccinated is a big step to getting all students back in school full-time.
Some Central Indiana schools have already announced plans to bring kids in middle schools and high school back to classrooms after spring break.
Now, Carmel Clay Schools is working on a plan to do the same. Families at Carmel Clay Schools shared mixed reactions after finding out the school administration is working on a plan to get grades 6-12 back into the classroom full-time.
Myla McKinney has three kids in Carmel Clay Schools. She said the hybrid education model has been challenging for them. McKinney said the sooner the students are back in class full-time, the better.
“It’s a good way to start the summer where they can feel like they are not alone anymore and reestablish relationships with friends they had before all this begun,” McKinney said. “It’s a good trial run for next year and help us work out all of the kinks.”
McKinney said she understands the hesitation from some members of the community but think getting back into classrooms is the right thing to do at this point.
“That is a very hard decision to send your child back into a COVID-era school,” she said. “But we’ve got to do something because the kids are just falling more and more behind academically because they are not in school the full time.”
The administration at Carmel Clay Schools said parents will be notified when the transition plan is finalized.
But Carmel Clay Schools is not the only district considering this. Noblesville Schools sent a message to parents and staff telling them it is looking at next steps with the goal of getting back to normal schedules – when it is safe.
The president of the Indiana Teacher Association, Keith Gambill, said school administrations and parents need to proceed with caution.
“An appointment to be vaccinated is not the same as being vaccinated,” he said. “I know that teachers and all staff are wanting to get everything back as close to normal as soon as possible. The CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is pretty clear we need to make sure we don’t get out too far ahead of things. We don’t want to make the wrong decision this close to the finish line.”
Gambill said there are a lot of questions that need to be considered.
“How classrooms need to be set up when you’re welcoming more students into the classrooms, that needs to be considered,” he said. “The lunchroom, when you would have had half as many seats filled, you may have all of the seats filled – what does that look like?”