STAUNTON - Staunton City Schools Superintendent Garett Smith and his staff have a busy summer ahead. Instead of preparing for a standard school year, they will now be working to find solutions and figure out how to best implement new statewide coronavirus safety requirements.
Smith had seen parts of Gov. Ralph Northam's plan to reopen Virginia schools before Tuesday's public announcement of the plan, but now he has a better picture of what will be expected this fall. Still, there are many details to be determined.
Northam, along with Virginia Superintendent of Public Education James Lane, announced that, much like Virginia itself, schools will reopen with a phased in plan.
By Friday, all of Virginia is expected to be in Phase Two, which, for schools, means instruction will still be predominately remote. However, in-person programs will include students with disabilities, English language learners and students in preschool through kindergarten.
Phase Three will offer in-person instruction to all students, but there must be measures in place so students and school staff maintain social distancing.
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The school year for Staunton City Schools is scheduled to begin Aug. 4, and Smith said he is working under the assumption that there will be no delay in that schedule.
As for what that will look like, there are a lot of options being discussed in Staunton.
“The way we’ve looked at it in Staunton City Schools is, let’s plan for the most restrictive, let’s plan as though we’re starting in Phase One," Smith said, "and then work backwards from there.”
If Virginia is still in Phase Two on Aug. 4, could that mean bringing back only those most vulnerable students and having a remote learning plan for the rest of the student population?
“That’s one possibility,” Smith said. “But we’re going to generate a whole bunch of possibilities because anything could happen.”
Staunton has an advantage over some districts, according to Smith, because every student has access to the internet, making remote learning accessible to all. Students who needed personal devices or internet access were given refurbished Chromebooks and internet hotspots this spring.
"We think that we have essentially bridged the digital divide in Staunton City Schools," Smith said.
Staunton teachers are also required to demonstrate competency in three remote learning platforms this summer through a professional development program offered by the school system. Those platforms include Zoom, Google Meet, Remind, SeeSaw and Google Classroom.
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Virtual Virginia is an online learning program that could be used. Smith said his staff has some experience with the program, especially in high school, but he believes they could expand the use this coming school year.
Smith and his staff will have to provide two plans to the Virginia Department of Education before entering Phase Two or Phase Three of the education plan.
The first required plan is a health plan. Smith said this plan is under way and could be completed this week.
One requirement in Phase Three is daily health checks. With one nurse in each of its schools, Smith admitted that will be a "significant challenge."
“If we have to do daily health screenings," he said, "that’s going to take up a whole bunch of time.”
And what will those screenings include? Temperature checks are a standard, but there could be more to it. Smith said he is in the process of finding out more information.
The second plan is an instructional plan. Smith anticipates having that in place by mid-July.
Measures for social distancing were part of the governor's plan, including students and staff maintaining a distance of six feet between one another.
"That’s going to be challenging,” Smith said. “And imagine doing that with kindergartners. They don’t social distance.”
There's also the possibility of staggered schedules. Smith said the Virginia Department of Education provided sample schedules, but his administrators are working on more specific schedules for Staunton.
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Staunton City Schools will also be sending surveys to families to find out other needs. One of the questions will be about the need for transportation. Smith is hoping that only those who absolutely need to use school busses will do so to limit the number of students on each bus.
The governor also said schools should consider closing or staggering the use of communal spaces, including the cafeteria, auditorium, and gym.
And, as Smith said, studies have shown that exerting oneself or using a loud voice helps spread germs. That might impact physical education, chorus and band classes.
There are a lot of questions to be answered, including ones about nutrition, transportation, cleaning and maintenance.
“All of those things are going to be impacted,” Smith said. “We’re right at the beginning of trying to figure this out within the guidelines the Virginia Department of Education provided today.”
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