Area superintendents have been in constant adjustment mode since the coronavirus pandemic began in March, and Wednesday’s announcements only continued that process.
Governor Laura Kelly announced schools will not open until after Labor Day if an executive order is approved by the Kansas State Board of Education. Her announcement came as districts were still wading through the nearly 1,100-page “Navigating Change” guidance document.
USD 253 Superintendent Kevin Case weighed in on the announcement stating it was “not what I was expecting.” However, Case says he is not against having a few additional weeks to further solidify plans for the upcoming school year.
He says the district was at a point Wednesday where they felt comfortable in presenting some plans to the Board of Education in the coming weeks. He anticipates the delay will set those plans back slightly but not significantly.
At this time Case says among other issues, the delay will place a lot of uncertainty on the district’s 2020-21 academic calendar.
USD 251 North Lyon County says it plans to continue with its Kick Start and Jumpstart programs if precautionary plans are approved by Lyon County Public Health. Those plans are currently under review. Superintendent Bob Blair says the delay is a two-edged sword. Superintendent Bob Blair says it’s important to have different education models in place — and not just in case of higher or lower case numbers.
Blair says in-class education is the model everybody wants to use because it’s best for children, although there is value to hybrids and remote-only education.
USD 252 Southern Lyon County had a board meeting Wednesday night, discussing items like PPE stockpiles — mainly for masks — as well as cleaning timetables, space between students on buses and locker room adjustments. Superintendent Mike Argabright says the district was considering a slight delay in starting the school year before the governor’s announcement. He says the decision to delay schools and the Navigating Change framework help the district fine-tune the safety areas, but there are still a lot of unknowns yet to discover as the pandemic continues.
At USD 386 Madison-Virgil, Superintendent Stu Moeckel said the extra time is welcomed.
Moeckel says teachers and staff will still report Aug. 13 as planned because there are still a lot of things to do, even though classes may not be starting until September.
KVOE News will continue talking with area superintendents and give you their perspectives in the coming days.
