Clintonville starts in ‘high-risk’ category
By Bert Lehman
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Clintonville School District will start the 2020-21 school year in a “high-risk” category, which calls for a combination of in-person and virtual learning for students.
The Clintonville School Board approved that type of opening when it met on Aug. 10.
School board members Lori Poppe, Laurie Vollrath and Mark Zachow voted against starting the school year in the high-risk category.
According to a document that explains what it means to start in a high-risk category, triggers that would place the district in the high-risk include positive COVID-19 cases throughout the school district, multiple students or staff being required to quarantine, the district being unable to provide adequate in-person instructional staffing, and a recommendation from the district’s medical adviser, local/county health departments, or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
High risk category
Under the high-risk plan, students will be split into two groups for daily activities. Social distancing of students and staff will be followed whenever possible.
The first group will attend in-person learning on Monday and Tuesday each week, while the second group does virtual learning those days.
Both groups will participate in virtual learning on Wednesday each week, while the school buildings undergo a deep cleaning on that day.
On Thursday and Friday each week, the second group will attend in-person learning, while the first group will have virtual learning those days.
Virtual learning will be offered by the Clintonville School District via Google Classrooms and other virtual platforms. It was indicated in the document that school administration and staff should expect “additional students requesting virtual learning.”
Medium-sized groups or social gatherings will be discouraged when possible, with additional deep cleaning of identified areas being monitored regularly.
Arrangements will be made to reduce the number of students in common areas. Regular hand washing and use of hand sanitizer will be required of all people.
Situational wearing of a face covering will be required for everyone entering school buildings.
Lunch will be served in additional areas in an effort to support social distancing. Meal service may be available for district students who are learning virtually.
All bus drivers, adults and students who ride on a bus will be required to wear masks while on the bus. Students from the same household must sit in the same or adjoining seats. No guest passes will be issued for buses.
Access to buildings will be monitored.
Custodial, maintenance and staff critical to operations will be allowed in buildings.
Visitors, parents and vendors are not permitted in the building unless given permission.
Outside groups and activities will not be permitted to use indoor facilities.
Face coverings will be required for all who enter the buildings.
Parents will be required to screen their children using a COVID-19 checklist before sending them to school each day. District staff and students may be screened when entering a district building.
District buildings will ensure deep cleaning by custodial staff.
Teachers will be supplied with sanitizing kits.
Common areas in buildings will be cleaned regularly.
State guidelines pending
Superintendent David Dyb said just hours prior to the board meeting he received an email from the health officer of Waupaca County in which the district was told the state of Wisconsin is working on a decision framework for opening schools in the state.
He said the email stated the release date of the framework was not known, but it would contain information about when schools should open to in-person classes.
“My frustration boils over that we have spent hours and hours and days as an administrative team, and now as a board, putting things together and then you get more guidelines from the state,” Dyb said. “I have to commend the parents of this community because they want to know (how schools will open). We put something together, and then, ‘oh, here’s some guidance in a week or so.’ The not knowing, and the dragging of the feet of the people above us that are supposed to provide us clear guidance is what frustrates me.”
During the discussion, board member Ben Huber said he understands parents and students want to start the school year with in-person classes. He acknowledged starting the school year in the high-risk category is not ideal, but thinks it is the best way to keep the entire community as healthy as it can be.
He added that the district is now better prepared to conduct a virtual learning option than it was in mid-March.
“There are some who say we should be five days a week. There are some who say we should be virtual completely, because it’s the only safe thing to do,” Huber said. “I’m kind of middle of the road, which puts me at, I think we ought to have kids in front of teachers as much as we can, as safely as we can make it. Nothing’s safe in the world, and we don’t have all the answers.”
Zachow said he thinks the school district should open its school to in-person learning five days a week.
“I think this has gone on long enough,” Zachow said. “This virtual learning is not working.”
Board member Jim Schultz said his preference was for the district to use virtual learning for the first two weeks and “see what happens.”
“There is no easy answer. There is no good answer at all,” Schultz said.
Vollrath said she did not think the district should start in the high-risk category, and that the district should hold in-person learning five days a week. Board member Larry Czarnecki said a number of area school districts are starting with a combination of in-person and virtual learning.
“Obviously, as with everybody, we want to see a good amount of students in school five days a week, that would be the ideal situation, but we’re not in ideal circumstances,” Czarnecki said.
Board member Kris Strauman said she sympathizes with students and parents, but the district has to listen to medical experts. She added that the board will continue to monitor the situation and do adjustments accordingly.
Mental health issues
After citing several statistics about COVID-19, Board President Lori Hoppe said she cannot figure out why the district would start in the high-risk category.
“This is a serious, serious virus, we know that,” Hoppe said. “But I also know that mental health with our kids is even worse.”
She cited her own children and how COVID-19 is impacting their mental health.
“They need their friends. They need to be in school,” Hoppe said.
She added that virtual learning will be a challenge for the district, and homework packets do not work.
“I need more facts to show me that I need to keep these kids out of school,” Poppe said. “Virtual, you know, we might have to at first go a little bit here and there but as soon as we can get them all in school right away, let’s do it. They (students) need that. They need to be in school.”
Even though the district is starting its school year in the high-risk category, the board will discuss the matter at each of its future board meetings, and determine if the district should be moved to a different category.